Former Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele didn’t hesitate when asked to weigh in on the long-running debate over who was the best between Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Paul Scholes. With a career spent mastering the role of defensive midfield - a position in which he became one of the Premier League’s all-time greats - the Frenchman is more than qualified to judge what it takes to dominate the middle of the park.
Makelele first made his mark at Real Madrid between 2000 and 2003, winning two La Liga titles and a Champions League. He then moved to Chelsea, where he spent five successful years, adding two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and two League Cups to his trophy haul.
Throughout his career, Makelele played with and against some of the best players in the world. Yet, few debates are as fiercely contested as the one over who was the greatest modern-day midfielder: Liverpool’s, Chelsea’s, or Manchester United’s. Despite having played alongside Lampard in west London, he ultimately chose another of the trio as his favourite.
The 25 Greatest Midfielders in Premier League History (Ranked) Related
25 Greatest Midfielders in Premier League History [Ranked]
Kevin De Bruyne, Steven Gerrard, and Patrick Vieira are all among the best midfielders in the league's history.
Makelele Hails Paul Scholes As His Favourite Midfielder
The Frenchman saw a lot of similarities between himself and the Ginger Prince
On "Rio Meets", Rio Ferdinand's podcast, Makelele was asked to pick the best out of Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes, Roy Keane, Yaya Toure, and Patrick Vieira, to which the answer proved pretty simple. The 52-year-old, who finished his career at Paris Saint-Germain, said (see the full segment below):
"I would go for [Paul] Scholes, because he was complete."
While he would also go on to name Gerrard as the toughest to play against from that star-studded list, a lot of his reasoning for picking Scholes as the best appeared to stem from the similarities he saw in the Ginger Prince in his own playing style. Later on in the podcast, he delved deeper into the way he played.
"Many people talk like I'm aggressive... no... I play football," he told Ferdinand, who replied: "Paul Scholes says that." Makelele responded: "I love him. He's my favourite."
"He's like me; fighter, technique, brain. This kind of guy needs to come back to Manchester United. Give an answer to the young players. You can't lose these kinds of people."
This revelation is especially striking considering Makelele played 195 matches alongside Lampard - more than with any other player. Despite that close partnership, it was Scholes who left the more lasting impression on the Frenchman, during an era when Chelsea and the Red Devils United were locked in a fierce battle for domestic superiority.