'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3 Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard, the manager of Scottish club Rangers, would have perhaps found himself higher up the list of the greatest midfielders ever had his excellent footballing abilities translated to a better trophy haul.
The Liverpool legend is easily one of the best midfielders of his generation and though he was largely deployed as a central midfielder, he has nearly taken up every position in attack at some point thanks to his incredible ability on the ball.
Gerrard was a marauding box-to-box midfielder in his heyday after evolving from a ball winner to a deep-lying playmaker during his early years at Anfield. Stevie G is also widely held in high regard for his proclivity for scoring absolute screamers and he has scored more than his fair share of worldies in his playing career.
Gerrard rallied his Liverpool side to the UEFA Champions League title in 2005 after finding themselves 3-0 down in the first-half to AC Milan and that's perhaps the greatest night of his career. However, for all that talent, Gerrard failed to win the Premier League in the 17 years he spent at Merseyside.
He has had to content with two FA Cups, three League Cups and a UEFA Champions League title.
#2 Andrea Pirlo
"I don't feel pressure. I don't give a toss about it. I spent the afternoon of Sunday, 9 July, 2006 in Berlin sleeping and playing the PlayStation. In the evening, I went out and won the World Cup."
That quote from Andrea Pirlo summarizes one of the coolest footballers to have graced the game. Pirlo has taken over at helm at Juventus and the world is waiting with bated breath to see how he goes about it.
One of the finest technicians on the ball and an absolute wizard from a deep midfield position, Pirlo's vision, passing range and technical ability were on a level that's seldom matched. One of the distinguished players who have played for Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus, Pirlo also tasted World Cup success with Italy in 2006.
Pirlo's abilities enabled managers to field him any of the midfield positions but he was mostly deployed as a deep-lying playmaker. He could often pick out passes that most players wouldn't have the vision to see and is widely regarded as one of the greatest deep-lying playmakers of all time.
Not only was Pirlo excellent at long-range passing, he is also one of the greatest free-kick takers of the modern era. An embodiment of elegance, Pirlo made up for his lack of physicality with his composure and ability to create space out of nowhere.
#1 Zinedine Zidane
Well, Zinedine Zidane is the closest we have come to seeing magic on a football field. Arguably the greatest midfielder of a generation that did not have any shortage of quality, Zidane played like a dream and was a treat to watch every time he got on the ball.
He won the FIFA Player of the Year Award in 1998, 2000 and 2003 and won the World Cup with France in 1998 and then won the Euros in 2000. Zidane is also one of Real Madrid's greatest ever Galactico signing and he made football look so easy when the reality is far from it.
Zinedine Zidane was one of those players who could improve the entire team by just being on the pitch. He also had a big bag of tricks replete with roulettes and stepovers and was nearly impossible to contain once he got into his stride.
Zidane called it a day on his footballing career while he was still on top of his game and though he left the game in distasteful fashion (headbutting Materazzi in the World Cup final and getting a red card for it), no football fan who has watched him play will ever hold it against him. Zizou was just that darn good.
