‘I played with Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard – one couldn’t do what the other could’

Wayne Rooney has weighed in on the age-old debate of who was the superior midfielder: Paul Scholes or Steven Gerrard. Rooney, who enjoyed a glittering 13-season spell at Old Trafford, played alongside Scholes under Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign, where they collected an impressive haul of five Premier League titles, two League Cups, and a Champions League trophy before Scholes hung up his boots in 2013.

Despite never teaming up with Gerrard at club level, Rooney and the Liverpool legend battled side by side for England, with Rooney donning the Three Lions jersey from 2003 to 2018 and Gerrard from 2000 to 2014. Surprisingly, despite his closer ties with Scholes, Rooney rates Gerrard as the better of the two midfield maestros.

On Sky Bet’s The Overlap with Gary Neville, when quizzed about the greatest player he’s ever played with, Rooney admitted: “I think, honestly on ability, Ronaldo but then Scholesy as well… just what Scholesy brought to the team.” Neville, intrigued by Rooney’s response, pressed further: “Talk to us about the difference between Scholes, Gerrard, and [Frank] Lampard.

“You’ve had the best view of all three because you played in front of all three, and you’ve obviously worked with them.” Renowned for his straightforward assessments, Rooney responded: “They’re all different I think as an all-rounder, Stevie’s the best out of them.

“I think he can defend, pass the ball, run, tackle, score goals, set pieces I think he’s an all-rounder Stevie, he’s the best from that point of view. From a goalscoring point of view, Lamps. The goals he scored were incredible from midfield. Technically probably not at Stevie’s or Scholesy’s level, but there’s no one better at scoring goals from midfield.

“And then Scholesy, I just think how he adapted he was almost a striker when he was younger and to then go to a 10, to midfield, and then a deeper midfielder dictating the game I don’t think any of the other two could dictate games the way he could. So all world-class players.

“I think Stevie could come to United and be a top, top player and almost do what Scholes could do, where I don’t think Scholesy could go and do what Stevie did at Liverpool.” Former teammate Neville echoed this sentiment, adding: “No, not in the way in which he did it. No chance.”

Gerrard, despite never clinching a Premier League trophy with Liverpool, famously lifted two FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Cup, and the Champions League during his spell at Anfield from 1998 to 2015. Acknowledged as one of the Reds’ all-time greats, he, alongside Lampard and Rooney, has seamlessly transitioned into management after concluding his illustrious playing career at LA Galaxy in 2016.

After coaching Liverpool’s U18 and U19 teams from 2017 to 2018, he embarked on a successful three-year tenure with Rangers, culminating in a Scottish Premiership title in the 2020/21 season. He then had a brief spell at Aston Villa between 2021 and 2022, before heading to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq, where he continues to manage today.