Zinedine Zidane has made his feelings clear on Sir Alex Ferguson's claim that Steven Gerrard was never a 'top, player'

In response to Sir Alex Ferguson's absurd assertion that Steven Gerrard wasn't a "top player," Zinedine Zidane, a former Real Madrid player, took aim at the former Manchester United manager.
Among the greatest midfielders of his generation was Zidane. In a similar vein, many consider Sir Alex Ferguson to be among the greatest football managers in history.
Their views on Steven Gerrard, the legendary player for Liverpool, are different, though. In just one competitive match, England vs. France at Euro 2004, Zidane faced Gerrard. But he has been fairly open about his admiration for the Englishman. In contrast, the ex-Manchester United boss was less than complimentary towards Gerrard in his book, which was released in 2013.

To the surprise of many, including Zidane, Ferguson insisted that Gerrard had never been a "top, top player."
The club rivalry may have affected Ferguson's view, though, considering how close it was to his United career.

The Mirror reported in 2013 that the Frenchman, who was Madrid's sporting director at the time, refuted the allegations.
Zidane clarified, "Steven Gerrard was the world's best midfield player for two or three years."
"It's fantastic for Liverpool that Gerrard has remained loyal to them throughout his career, but every elite club in Europe would have done the same four or five years ago," he went on.
Zidane continued, "Alex Ferguson is undoubtedly among the most successful coaches in the history of the game."

“But I did find his comments about Steven Gerrard very strange. To say he is not a top player is wrong.”

However, Ferguson and Gerrard’s relationship looks to have improved over a decade on from the comments.

Steven Gerrard and Zinedine Zidane share mutual respect (Credit:Getty)

In May 2024, the Liverpool legend revealed how he had sought advice from Ferguson in the days that followed his Aston Villa sacking. Gerrard admitted that being sacked by Villa in 2022 “knocked his confidence”.

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