Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has revealed that he would pick former Reds teammate Luis Suarez over the equally “phenomenal” Fernando Torres.
Suarez made a sensational impact during his three-and-a-half-seasons at Anfield and scored an incredible 82 times in 133 appearances for Liverpool.
The 35-year-old Uruguayan striker came within touching distance of the Premier League title in the 2013-14 season, only for Liverpool to slip up and concede the trophy to Manchester City.
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Despite missing out on the league title, Suarez captured the Premier League Golden Boot after scoring an impressive 31 times in 33 matches.
Suarez, who only lifted a League Cup title with Liverpool, left Anfield in 2014 to complete a reported £75m deal to Barcelona.
Speaking to Manchester United legend Gary Neville, Gerrard was asked to choose between Suarez and Liverpool fan-favourite Torres.
Gerrard said on Sky Bet’s The Overlap: “I get asked this question all the time -- all the time -- listen, both phenomenal, but I’d say Suarez just because he had everything and, I mean, how long have you got to describe him?”
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Neville went on to ask Gerrard if Suarez was the best player he played with at Liverpool, with the Reds legend giving a definitive response to the question.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely. I played with some top players, you know your [Xabi] Alonsos of this world, [Javier] Mascheranos, Torress, but Suarez was just different,” Gerrard continued.
“You just felt no matter who you were playing, you just had a feeling that he was gonna win you the game, every game, didn’t matter who it was.”
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Gerrard insisted that he noticed Suarez’s potential the moment he arrived at Liverpool following his £22.7m transfer from Ajax in 2011.
The Aston Villa manager revealed that fellow Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher and himself were blown away by Suarez after one of their first major training sessions.
When asked if it took time for Suarez’s potential to hit him, Gerrard responded: “No, no, straightaway. Within like the first session, second session.
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“It was almost like he trained the way he played. I remember walking off one of the main sessions that we had done with Carra and me and Carra were like, ‘Oh my God, this fella’s got bundles plenty.
“I remember Carra saying to me, ‘I don’t want to play against him every day in training.’
“He was that intense in training. And he could embarrass you, even embarrass you with stuff that I don’t think even he knew he was doing.
“He was a ricochet merchant, he’d run over you, he’d dominate you, he’d bully you.”
Topics: Steven Gerrard, Gary Neville, Liverpool, Premier League, England, Football, Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres