Steven Gerrard is widely regarded as one of the greatest English footballers of all time, having been the heartbeat of Liverpool’s midfield for over 15 years and enjoyed a highly successful career at Anfield, with the 2005 Champions League victory his standout moment.
Known for his leadership and exceptional technical qualities, Gerrard was once among the best players in the world – he finished third in the 2005 Ballon d’Or voting, below his former England teammate Frank Lampard and winner Ronaldinho.
A world-class player himself, the Liverpool-born midfielder was also always full of praise for his peers and once claimed an England star was as good as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – he tipped the forward to be the Three Lions’ main man ahead of the 2010 World Cup and ‘shoot England to glory’.
Steven Gerrard Praises Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney Named His Pick for ‘Best’ English Footballer of all Time
Gerrard, as quoted by Express in 2010, tipped former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney to star at the 2010 World Cup after his ‘unbelievable’ season under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Gerrard even claimed Rooney was in a position to ‘make this World Cup his own’, like Pele and Diego Maradona, and said the former England striker was then in the same category of players as Messi, Ronaldo and Fernando Torres:
“Wayne is in a position to make this World Cup his own, like Pele and Maradona.
“The stage is set for him to deliver, be England’s main man and shoot us to glory.
“His confidence is sky-high and, physically, he’s in great shape. The stage is set for Wayne.
“He is at a fantastic age and he’s coming off the back of an unbelievable season, probably his best.
“He’s in the category of players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres.”
Rooney, regarded as one of Man United’s best-ever players, did enjoy an incredible 2009/10 campaign with the Red Devils – he finished as the club’s top scorer with 34 goals after Ronaldo's exit to Real Madrid and helped United win the League Cup.
However, despite Gerrard’s heavy praise and heightened expectations, Rooney endured a disappointing 2010 World Cup, as he failed to score or register an assist despite starting in all four of England’s games and was nowhere near his Man United level from the 2009/10 season.
Rooney was carrying an ankle injury picked up late in the club campaign which seemingly affected his sharpness, while he also later admitted he struggled to adapt to Fabio Capello’s style at the tournament, which ended for England with a 4-1 loss to Germany in the Round of 16.
While Rooney’s major trophy haul at club level includes five Premier League titles and a Champions League win in 2008, he never managed to replicate the same success wearing the Three Lions’ shirt.
He helped England reach back-to-back quarter-finals in Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup, finishing as the tournament’s joint-second highest scorer in 2004 with four goals.