In March 2009 retired French footballer Zinedine Zidane praised English midfielder as one of the sport’s best players. He said, “Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo but, yes, I think he just might be.…If you don’t have a player like Steven Gerrard, who is the engine room, it can affect the whole team.” Zidane restated his admiration for Gerrard on a number of other occasions, including in 2015, when he said, “Why did I like him so much? Perhaps there was something about him that reminded me a little bit of myself. He made a lot of noise out there on the field but was quiet off it, meaning that he was someone down to earth and grounded away from the game who just said what needed to be said. He preferred to do his talking on the field, using his voice, his combative spirit and above all his ability on the ball that could make the difference in a game.”
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