Steven Gerrard Names His 5 Best Liverpool and England Teammates Ever

Captaining your club and country is a dream for any footballer, and Steven Gerrard wore Liverpool and England’s captain’s armband with pride. The legendary former midfielder starred for every team he played for, and also led sides featuring world-class players on his level.

Gerrard spent 17 years playing for his boyhood club and saw some of the world’s greatest stars come and go. He was also a mainstay in the Three Lions team, earning 114 caps after making his international debut in May 2000.

The Englishman might not have got his hands on the Premier League title, but he captained the Reds to Champions League glory in the miracle of Istanbul in 2005. Three members of Rafa Benitez’s team who were in action on that famous night against AC Milan take their place in Gerrard’s five-a-side team of Liverpool players.

Gerrard’s Liverpool Five-a-Side Team

Gerrard’s longevity was astounding, and he remained one of the best midfielders in the world during the latter stages of his Anfield career. While he remained loyal to the Merseyside giants despite their failure to win the title, others headed off to enjoy major success elsewhere.

Liverpool’s 3-2 penalty shootout win over Milan after a remarkable 3-3 comeback draw in regulation time remains one of football’s greatest miracles. Gerrard was a standout performer, but so too were three players whom he named in his five-a-side team.

While speaking to former England teammate Rio Ferdinand, he gave a formidable line up of former Reds:

“The best defender I played with for Liverpool would be Carragher or Hyypia. All-round, if they were both in their prime, I’d say big Sammy Hyypia. Two million pounds is all he cost, great player.”

Sami Hyypia joined the Reds from Dutch outfit Willem II in May 1999 for a bargain fee and the Finnish defender exceeded expectations. He was a rock at the back, almost unstoppable in aerial situations and occasionally captained the side in Gerrard’s absence.

Gerrard didn’t opt for a goalkeeper and instead went with a midfield duo with differing profiles:

“Definitely (Xabi) Alonso. (Javier) Mascherano was good, but I only played with him for a short period of time, so I would probably say Didi Hamman – very underrated.”

Xabi Alonso and Gerrard formed a tidy partnership in the middle of the park with the Spanish midfield maestro’s ball-playing qualities a perfect match for the all-rounded style of the former England skipper. He scored the vital equaliser in the Merseysiders’ comeback against Milan to take the final to extra-time.

Many Liverpool fans feel Dietmar Hamann was an unsung hero while at Anfield and Gerrard seemed to echo that stance. The German was a defensive midfielder who possessed a calm approach, controlling games, breaking up play and getting the team ticking on the attack.

There was only ever going to be two strikers to take up the next two spots in his five-a-side team:

“Suarez, yes, and I’ve had to go with Torres.”

He added:

“But again it’s period and moments and when they peak. Robbie Fowler peaked just before I got into the first team, and Michael Owen peaked as I was coming into… And then you’ve got obviously Torres and Suarez. But all around, when them two were both at it, they were phenomenal.”

One topic of discussion regarding Gerrard’s career is whether he was better playing with Fernando Torres or Luis Suarez. The first of his two world-class partnerships came when Torres rocked up at Anfield in 2007.

The Spaniard was a revelation in front of the Kop, putting up an impressive 81 goals in 142 games while giving defenders nightmares with his movement. He shared an understanding with Gerrard that left their teammates wondering how they worked so seamlessly in cohesion.

Gerrard missed his Spanish mate once Torres made a controversial move to Chelsea but he was soon linking back up with another of football’s most clinical frontmen. He not only rates Luis Suarez as one of his best five Liverpool teammates of all-time, but thinks he’s the greatest he played with.

That’s understandable given the untouchable displays the Uruguayan forward enjoyed while on Merseyside. He bagged 82 goals in 133 games, and most of those came from a Gerrard assist.

Gerrard’s England Five-a-Side Team

Gerrard recently reflected on his time playing for England not too fondly as he suggested he was often waiting to get back to his club. There’s no denying the Golden Generation failed as many expected that group of Three Lions to finally end years of hurt since the 1966 World Cup win.

A major trophy didn’t arrive during his international career but he still shined alongside some of the best English footballers in history. His five-a-side team of former national teammates makes for compelling reading.

He resisted trying to choose between Rio Ferdinand and John Terry and instead went for an Invincible at the back:

“Defender, I’m going to respect you (Ferdinand) and John Terry and I’m not going to pick either of you because I think in terms of levels, you were both very different. I think your style and John’s style suited each other, and I’d say it’s probably difficult to split in terms of the level you both played – and that’s not me sitting on the fence.”

He added:

“I’m going to go with Ashley Cole, and the reason being is I would say that Ashley, in my opinion, was the best left-back in the world when we played with him.”

Ashley Cole is usually named in all-time England XI’s and he arguably remains the greatest the Premier League has ever seen despite Andy Robertson’s exploits at Liverpool. He played a crucial role in Arsenal’s Invincible 2004 title-winning campaign before holding down the left-back position at Chelsea and winning the Champions League.

Gerrard found it easy deciding on his two midfielders:

“Midfielders – definitely Scholesly. Lampard, I would put in as well.”

England managers didn’t have as much joy deciding which of Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes to pair in midfield. It often led to Scholes being played out on the left and that didn’t get the best out of his outstanding playmaking abilities.

Scholes is often heralded by those who played the game and even pioneering tacticians such as Pep Guardiola. Gerrard reckons he’d be at ease in the modern day of Premier League football:

“I think now, hands down, he [Scholes] would be the best midfielder in the Premier League.”

Lampard remains the highest goalscoring midfielder in top-flight history, finding the back of the net 177 times in 611 games. He fired Chelsea to their first title before getting his hands on another two as well as captaining the Blues to their first Champions League win.

The two strikers to make Gerrard’s team could have been a match made in heaven had they played their football together:

“I’d have to go with Alan Shearer because I played a couple of games with him, and number-wise, he was obviously out on his own. And I’d have to go with Wazza (Rooney).”

Alan Shearer remains the all-time top scorer in Premier League history with a tally of 260 goals in 441 games. He was just as potent while representing his country, registering 30 goals in 63 caps.

The Newcastle United icon was a natural goalscorer and relished leading the line for the Magpies. He could score any type of goal and many forget how handy he was in bringing others into play.

Gerrard spent most of his international career playing with Wayne Rooney, and despite their club’s fierce rivalry, they were close. There are similarities between the pair regarding their ability to put their teams on their back and almost solely guide them over the finish line.

Rooney was ridiculous in his pomp, a masterful footballer who could perform any role asked of him. He dazzled at Euro 2004 at the age of 18, foreshadowing just how phenomenal he’d eventually become and that included constant trophies at Manchester United where he became the club’s all-time top scorer.