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Former Liverpool midfielder Pedro Chirivella has admitted that he could barely contain his excitement at the prospect of playing alongside Steven Gerrard.
Chirivella, who now plays for Ligue 1 side Nantes, played 11 times in seven years for the Reds. The Spaniard claimed that even when Gerrard was into his mid-thirties, there was no one quite like the former club captain.
Speaking to the Blood Red podcast, as quoted by Rousing The Kop, Chirivella explained:
“The only player in my life that I was really like ‘wow I’m training with him and playing next to him’ was Steven (Gerrard). For everything he accomplished in Liverpool, for who he is in Liverpool, for me it was a big day.”
The 25-year-old further added:
“I’ve never seen a right foot like his, the way he shoots, the passes he made, how he runs at that age he was still a machine physically. I remember he was one of the players who when I went home and spoke with my parents I said ‘he’s on a top, top level.'”
Former England star Gerrard is generally considered to be one of the greatest players in Anfield history. He played 710 times for this boyhood club, scoring 185 goals and providing 153 assists.
Former Liverpool teammate picks Steven Gerrard in his all-time best XI
Boudewijn 'Bolo' Zenden, who spent two years at Anfield, was asked by FourFourTwo for his greatest ever lineup of players he has played alongside.
The former Netherlands international picked an all-star selection player, including Ronaldo Nazario, Luis Figo and Xavi Hernandez. Zenden also picked his former Reds captain Gerrard, as he explained:
“A great captain. He wasn’t a man of many words, but above all of deeds. If necessary, Stevie would put in a tackle to ignite the fire in a game. Once a year, that tackle was over the edge, but he was our guy for important goals at Liverpool.”
Zenden also selected another former Reds teammate, namely goalkeeper Pepe Reina. When asked to explain his choice, the former Barcelona playmaker stated:
“A fantastic personality, a real winner and a penalty specialist. I met Pepe as a young lad at Barcelona, and later we played in the 2007 Champions League Final for Liverpool against Milan, but unfortunately we lost.”
