Wayne Rooney claims Steven Gerrard was the best England midfielder ahead of Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes .
The former Reds captain etched his name into Anfield folklore with a stunning career at his boyhood club, yet always found himself up against Chelsea's goalscoring maestro when it came to discussing who was the better player.
Further still, Manchester United's own loyalist in Scholes also comfortably placed himself on the podium as one of England's greatest ever central midfielders, and was even forced to play on the left on occasion for the Three Lions just so all three players could fit in.
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Gerrard finished his Liverpool career with 710 appearances, scoring 186 goals and providing 155 assists, while Lampard racked up 648 appearances for Chelsea, providing 211 goals and 148 assists. As for Scholes, he featured 713 times for Man United, grabbing 153 goals and 81 assists.
Separating the trio, however, has proved one of the hardest things to do for England and Premier League fans down the years, with so many different factors to take into consideration. Three Lions teammate Rooney , however, believes he's finally figured it out.
Speaking on The Overlap , the current Plymouth Argyle boss revealed his admiration for Gerrard's ability to do just about anything on a football pitch - which is what set him apart from the "world class" Lampard or Scholes as England's best midfielder.
"Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are all different," Rooney said. "As an all-rounder, Stevie is the best; he can defend, pass the ball, run, tackle, score goals, set pieces. As an all-rounder he's the best from that point of view."
He added: "All were world-class players. Stevie could come to Manchester United and be a top player and do what Scholes could do. But I don't think Scholes could do what Stevie did at Liverpool."
On the international stage, it was Gerrard who won the most caps for England out of the trio, taking to the field on 114 occasions for the Three Lions throughout his career. In comparison, Lampard played 106 times for his country, Scholes 66.
However, despite being part of England's Golden Generation throughout the early 2000's, none of them could help the Three Lions across the line at any major international tournament, leaving them without any silverware since 1966 before their retirement.
As a result, it was their performances on the domestic stage which defined their careers, becoming Premier League legends in their own rights and winning a number of trophies to become some of the most decorated players in English football history.
In fact, Gerrard won the least amount of silverware during his top flight career, winning just nine trophies with Liverpool across a 17-season spell. Lampard, on the other hand, claimed 13 trophies in as many seasons with Chelsea, although Scholes blows both of them completely out of the water with his 25 trophies with Man United.
However, when it comes to actual individual performances on the pitch, it appears to be Gerrard who has shone through. If not for anyone else than certainly Rooney - and Reds fans - at least.
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