Premier League icons Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard have been the source of heated debate for almost 20 years. But Marco Materazzi has offered his take on which England great emerges on top in the argument as to who was the best.
While England were fortunate to have talents like Scholes, Gerrard, and Lampard in the same generation, the trio famously struggled to gel on the pitch together. The question, however, of whom stood out as the supreme player seems settled in Materazzi's eyes.
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, brought to you by Qatar Airways, Materazzi was asked for his verdict on who reigns supreme among the Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool legends. And Blues fans may be most pleased with his response - even if not for the right reasons.
"It's not easy. It's not an easy question," he said. "But, okay, my son loves Frank Lampard, I say Frank Lampard for my son."
When quizzed further by Ferdinand about which midfielder best mirrored the style of his old Italy team-mate and fellow World Cup winner Andrea Pirlo, Materazzi landed on Scholes. And he pointed to the former Red Devil's intelligence on the field as being the main distinction.
"Pirlo is totally different. Maybe Scholes," he replied before identifying the exact traits that made him most similar. "Because he's clever, he's smart."
Paul Scholes
Materazzi believes United legend Scholes was the most like countryman Andrea Pirlo (Image: YouTube/@TheOverlap)
The Inter Milan legend - who boasts a Champions League title, five Serie A winners' medals and four Coppa Italia crowns - hailed Pirlo as being "a bit higher" than Scholes. But it's evident from his selection of Lampard as the supreme candidate that Materazzi values more in a midfielder.
Scholes was known for his technical prowess and exceptional passing – considered some of the finest in the history of English football. But as his career progressed, he lost some of the scoring intuition his two other peers at Chelsea and Liverpool maintained throughout their careers.
Lampard and Gerrard notched up an impressive 106 and 114 England appearances, respectively, positioning them amongst the country's most capped players of all time. Only David Beckham (115), Wayne Rooney (120), and Peter Shilton (125) have worn the Three Lions shirt more times than Gerrard.
Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard
Both Lampard (right) and Gerrard (left) have transitioned into management (Image: PA)
Lampard also netted 29 goals for his country and boasts the best England scoring ratio out of the legendary trio. However, he didn't have the same impact without the ball as his aforementioned comrades.
Materazzi is widely remembered for being on the receiving end of Zinedine Zidane's headbutt during the infamous 2006 World Cup final. He took to the pitch for Italy 41 times, and his single game against England concluded with a 2-1 friendly victory back in March 2002.
The 51-year-old also contributed to the elimination of Lampard's Chelsea on the way to securing the Champions League title with Jose Mourinho in 2010. His only contribution may have been a substitute appearance during a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge, though he nonetheless helped seal the second leg in their round-of-16 clash.
Listen to the full Rio Meets Marco Materazzi interview on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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