Steven Gerrard was one of the best passers of a football of his generation. The all-action midfielder mastered the art of scoring long-range goals, putting in crunching tackles, and picking out a teammate from anywhere on the pitch.
His ability to see the bigger picture of a game from the centre of the park when many couldn’t even spot a passing option from the stands or through the television helped Gerrard stand out as one of the greatest in Premier League history. During his nearly 20-year spell with boyhood club Liverpool, the Englishman shared the pitch with some incredibly talented maestros.
However, despite playing alongside Xabi Alonso, Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard during his career for club and country, Gerrard believes one of Liverpool’s biggest stars since his retirement is among the best passers of the ball he’s ever witnessed.
Steven Gerrard on the Best Passers He’s Ever Witnessed
That man, of course, is right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. The defender starred at Anfield under Jurgen Klopp, revolutionising the full-back position on the way to two Premier League titles and a Champions League crown.
Speaking in glowing terms about Alexander-Arnold’s unique ability on the ball in a recent interview with ex-England colleague Rio Ferdinand, Gerrard put the now Real Madrid star in elite company alongside Scholes and David Beckham. He claimed:
“He’s an extremely good footballer, a very talented footballer. One of the best passers I’ve ever seen. He’s in the conversation with (David) Beckham and (Paul) Scholes, no problem.”
Despite his high praise for the immense talent of the England international, the former Reds captain did express his disapproval of the way Alexander-Arnold manufactured his summer 2025 move to Real Madrid. The 27-year-old allowed his contract at Anfield to run down in order to secure a switch to the Spanish capital.
Gerrard stated: “I wouldn’t have done it. I just think he took a big risk on. To leave Liverpool, where he was in his prime years, getting offered a new contract, he took a risk on. He’s living that risk now. I hope it works for him because I love the kid. Love the kid to bits.”
While he could have moved to the Santiago Bernabeu on a free transfer upon the expiry of his Liverpool contract at the end of June, the English giants instead received an £8.4 million fee from Los Blancos. This was to allow the transfer to happen one month early, meaning Alexander-Arnold could take part in the newly formatted FIFA Club World Cup.
