Steven Gerrard once suggested that a former Liverpool player was superior to Lionel Messi, but his statement didn’t stand the test of time.
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Gerrard, who spent most of his professional career at Liverpool from 1998 to 2015, famously won the Champions League in 2005.
He also earned 114 appearances for the England national team, netting 21 goals, and served as captain in three major tournaments, including the 2014 World Cup…Continue Reading
Having faced or played alongside many of the era’s top footballers, Gerrard certainly knew how to recognize talent. However, in one instance, the Liverpool legend made a misjudgment.
In 2010, despite Messi already being a Ballon d’Or winner (and on his way to claiming a second title that year), Gerrard claimed that his new Liverpool teammate, Joe Cole, could match Messi’s abilities on the field.
Cole had just joined Liverpool on a free transfer when Gerrard made this bold statement.
He told the BBC’s Match of the Day magazine (quotes via The Guardian): “Messi can do some amazing things, but anything he can do, Joe can do as well, if not better.
“He used to shock us in training by doing footy tricks with a golf ball that most players can’t even do with a football. I really fancy Joe for the [Player of the Year] award this year.”
Although Joe Cole was one of the top wingers of his generation in the Premier League, his time at Liverpool was far from successful.
He failed to win the Premier League Player of the Year award, and his 2010/11 season saw him score just two goals in 20 league appearances. Afterward, Cole was loaned to Lille for the 2011/12 season and later moved to West Ham in 2013.
In contrast, Messi had an extraordinary 2010/11 season, scoring 53 goals across all competitions.
He won his second Ballon d’Or shortly after Gerrard’s remarks, and led Barcelona to victories in La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup, and the Champions League, where they triumphed 3-1 over Manchester United in the final at Wembley.
