Zidane’s Response to Ferguson Saying Gerrard Wasn’t a ‘Top, Top Player’

Zinedine Zidane jumped to the defence of Steven Gerrard after Sir Alex Ferguson surprisingly claimed the former Liverpool captain was never a “top, top player” during his career. Gerrard came through the ranks at Anfield and shone for the Reds. He became captain and is now widely regarded as one of the club’s greatest ever players – if not *the* best.

There are few, if any, Liverpool players past or present who are as beloved as Gerrard is to the Anfield faithful. He famously guided the team to Champions League glory in 2005, lighting the spark that saw the Reds come from 3-0 down against AC Milan to lift the European Cup. He also won multiple FA Cups and League Cups during his time on Merseyside. His goal against West Ham United in the 2006 FA Cup final will always be remembered as one of English football’s greatest strikes.

Gerrard was compared to Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes throughout his career, two other English midfielders operating at the top of the Premier League. There’s still a raging debate as to which of the trio was the best player. Many professionals, both old and new, have had their say and while many believe Gerrard was number one, Ferguson once claimed he was never a top player. Zidane, arguably the greatest midfielder of all time, had something to say about that.

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Zidane Called Gerrard ‘One of the Best Players in the World’

During his career, there were few players quite as impressive as Zidane. The former Real Madrid man was elegance personified on the football pitch. Not many players got the better of him, and he dominated games like no other. If anyone knows a thing or two about special midfielders, it’s the Frenchman – and he was quick to disagree with Ferguson after the manager claimed Gerrard was never a top player.

Zidane, who went on to become a hugely successful manager in his own right, thought the ex-Liverpool star was one of the best players in the world during his peak. The football icon may have only played against Gerrard once and got the better of him on that day, but he couldn’t understand where Ferguson was coming from with his eyebrow-raising comments. Per The Mirror, Zidane said at the time:

A firm statement from Zidane. It’s easy to see how highly he rated the Englishman. Ferguson wasn’t on the same page, though.

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The Scot spoke about him in his book

In 2013, Ferguson released his autobiography, Alex Ferguson: My Biography. The book contained various eye-opening stories and delivered some insight into the career and mindset of the greatest manager in the history of football. There were some fascinating tales, including his fallout with Jaap Stam which led to the defender leaving Manchester United.

The book also contained a passage where Ferguson spoke about Gerrard – and he was less than complimentary about the current Al-Ettifaq boss. Speaking about the Premier League legend, Fergie wrote:

Considering all that he accomplished during his career as a manager, it’s hard to argue with many of Ferguson’s opinions. The man has seen and done it all in football, but this is one take that the majority of the world, Zidane included, cannot get on board with.

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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt