Wayne Rooney has put an end to the long-standing debate surrounding Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Paul Scholes.
With 120 caps and 53 goals for England, Rooney’s status as one of the Three Lions’ all-time greats is unquestionable.
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Part of England’s ‘golden generation’—a team that, despite its potential, never made it past the quarter-finals in major tournaments—Rooney shared the field with some of the game’s icons.
Central to the ongoing discourse are midfield maestros Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Paul Scholes, whose roles in England’s squad have been a topic of contention.
The common narrative blames England’s lack of trophies on the dynamic between Lampard and Gerrard on the pitch, as well as Scholes’s premature retirement from international play due to his position being mismanaged.
The debate over which of the three was superior has been a hot topic among fans and commentators alike. However, Rooney has now provided a definitive answer.
On a recent episode of The Overlap, presented by Sky Bet, Rooney was prompted to single out the finest player he’s ever teamed up with.
“On ability, Cristiano Ronaldo,” he replied. “But Scholsey as well with what he brought to the team but certainly from an ability point of view, I’d say Cristiano.
The former England international then went on to compare Scholes, Lampard and Gerrard.
“Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are all different. 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.
“From a goalscoring point of view, Lamps [Frank Lampard] was the best. The goals he scored were incredible from midfield and technically he wasn’t at Stevie or Scholesy’s level but there was no-one better at scoring goals from midfield.
“Scholesy, the way he adapted [made him amazing]. He was a striker when he was younger so to go to a ten, then midfield then a deeper midfielder dictating the game, I don’t think either of the other two [Gerrard or Lampard] could dictate a game the way he could.
“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.”
