Scholes and Gerrard were undoubtedly two of the top English midfielders of their generation – but who was better...?
(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)
At long last, Manchester United icon Paul Scholes has settled one of the Premier League's greatest ever debates: Who was the better midfielder? Him or Steven Gerrard.
Scholes and Gerrard's careers overlapped by 13 years, with the two vying for a place in the England midfield during the early 2000s – and playing alongside each other in Sven-Goran Eriksson's short-lived diamond system at Euro 2004.
Strong cases have been made for both the 11-time Premier League winner and Liverpool's legendary former captain, but the debate has raged over the years.
The conundrum of how to accommodate Scholes and Gerrard effectively in the same England side was never quite solved (Image credit: Getty Images)
Now, though, Scholes has given his verdict. Appearing on Rio Ferdinand's FIVE YouTube channel, he said: "I can answer that: Gerrard. Gerrard's a great player.
"We're different; we're very different. He's an athlete.
"I think he was more of a match winner as well, [wasn't] he – but he was playing in a team [Liverpool] where he had to be. I was more part of a team; he was more individual, I think."
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Scholes was also asked if Gerrard could have achieved what he did with Man United – and whether he could have achieved what Gerrard did with Liverpool. He replied:
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"Very different again. I wouldn't have been able to do what he did at Liverpool. Whether he could have done what I did at United, I don't know – I don't see why not – but I couldn't have done what he did at Liverpool, no."
Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...
