“He could do everything”: Wayne Rooney makes bold claim about Liverpool legend

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has weighed in on one of the Premier League era’s longest-running arguments by naming Steven Gerrard as the competition’s most complete midfielder. Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney placed the Liverpool icon above several other elite names when he was asked which midfielders had impressed him most during his career. This judgement stands out given the rivalry between United and Liverpool during the former England international’s years at Old Trafford. Rooney’s midfield verdict Wayne Rooney said there were five individuals who, for him, represented the gold standard for complete midfield players in the Premier League. His shortlist featured Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Patrick Vieira and Frank Lampard, a group that reflects both the quality of his team-mates and the calibre of opponents he faced. However, even with Scholes and Carrick included, Rooney made it clear that Gerrard was his top choice. “The [most] complete midfield player out of them all, it has to be Gerrard,” he remarked. Rooney went further to set out why he rated the Liverpool legend so highly. In his view, Gerrard combined technique, power, versatility and the capacity to influence matches in several different ways. “He could do everything,” Rooney observed. “He could tackle, he could shoot, he could dictate games, he could hit long passes.” Respect despite fierce rivalry United’s all-time leading goalscorer also pointed to Gerrard’s partnership era with Fernando Torres at Liverpool, describing a spell in which the midfielder became “more of the assist man” for the Spaniard while still noting that “he had everything.” This left a clear impression on Rooney, who admitted: “I would’ve loved to have seen him at United.” The ex-Everton ace was also asked whether his selection might be viewed as controversial because Gerrard is such a towering Liverpool figure. He did not soften his stance. Rooney insisted: “You have to be respectful.” Featured image Richard Heathcote via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Okari Wambunya Okari Wambunya is a football writer at The Peoples Person, covering Manchester United with fast, accurate, and source-led news, analysis, opinions, team developments, injuries, press conferences, and matchday reactions. A former secondary school teacher, he now coaches college football (not soccer) and continues to support young people through academic mentoring and youth work. He holds a BA (Hons) in English from Brunel University London and an MA in Education from King’s College London, with experience across digital journalism and broadcast sports media. Okari first praised Michael Carrick in a blog post he wrote at 16-years-old in 2014; over a decade later, United appointing Carrick as interim head coach feels like a full-circle moment.