Liverpool great Steven Gerrard’s response to Ferguson saying he wasn’t a ‘top, top player’
Steven Gerrard never managed to win a Premier League title. However, the Englishman is still widely regarded as one of the greatest ever players the Premier League ever produced.
The former Reds midfielder spent 17 years at Anfield where he scored 120 goals and providing a further 92 assists in a total of 504 league appearances. However, Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson caused a stir in his controversial 2013 autobiography by writing:
“I’m one of the few who felt Gerrard was not a top, top player.”
This came as a surprise admission from the Scot who struggled to get his team to contain Gerrard on several occasions. Gerrard was named in the PFA’s Premier League Team of the Year eight times.
When asked what he made of Fergie’s comments during an appearance on the Clare Balding show, Gerrard admitted to getting “a bit gutted” to hear Ferguson’s assessment about him.
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In Steven Gerrard’s response to Ferguson, he said:
“I went on trial at Manchester United when I was 13 and had a letter off them wanting to sign me on a seven-year deal,” he told the BT Sport presenter.
“I’m a huge fan of Alex Ferguson and what he’s done in the game is fantastic, that’s the reason why he’s sold that many copies in the first week.
“I was genuinely a little bit gutted when I read that, the reaction of the papers, when he said I’m not a top, top player. But I won’t lose sleep over it, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
“He tried to sign me in early 2002/03, he tried to sign me again to play for United, I obviously refused, so I can’t really take it to heart too much. But I’m a bit gutted because I’m a big fan of his.”
Gerrard’s impressive response suggests that Sir Alex’s comments on him not being a “top, top player” may have been borne out of bitterness. It comes as a surprise that Manchester great tried to sign the midfielder (twice) yet he strongly believed that Gerrard was not top class! Surprising indeed, Isn’t it?
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