Zinedine Zidane has shared his opinion on who was the superior leader between Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.
The ex-Real Madrid midfielder, known for his own leadership skills during his playing days, notably captained the French national team during the 2006 World Cup.
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Although Zidane never played with either Gerrard or Lampard, he offered his thoughts on the long-standing comparison between the two in 2013…Continue Reading
When asked which player was a better leader ahead of the 2014 World Cup, Zidane told the BBC’s Match of the Day Kickabout: “The one that is standing out and is really a leader is Lampard.”
Lampard played an impressive 915 matches across his career, representing clubs like West Ham, Swansea City, Chelsea, Manchester City, and New York City over two decades.
He captained Chelsea 83 times, including in the 2012 Champions League final when John Terry was unavailable due to suspension.
Despite Lampard’s achievements, Steven Gerrard was chosen as England’s captain ahead of his midfield counterpart.
Gerrard wore the armband 38 times, leading the national team at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, as well as the 2012 European Championship.
Although Lampard became England’s 109th captain during a 2011 match against Denmark, he mostly served as vice-captain between 2010 and 2014.
Zidane surprised some fans by admitting he would have preferred to play alongside Gerrard over Lampard or Paul Scholes.
“I have said in the past that at his peak he [Gerrard] was the best in the world,” said Zidane in 2015.
“I think it was the summer of 2004 I was having a conversation with Florentino (Perez), and I told him I wanted him to partner me in midfield for Madrid.”
He added: “I know the club tried twice, but he wouldn’t leave Liverpool. Not many players turn down Real Madrid but I think that tells you a lot about the loyalty of the man.”
Gerrard played 710 times for Liverpool and won nine major trophies, including the UEFA Champions League and two FA Cups before moving to LA Galaxy in 2015.
