Luis Suarez participated in a dynamic with the MLS Instagram official account. He had to pick his 5-team dream. He left clear that he never forgets his roots or his past. When selecting his all-time five-player dream team, he included two Uruguayan national teammates: Fernando Muslera and Diego Godin. He also reflected on his Barcelona years, naming Andres Iniesta, Neymar, and Lionel Messi.

However, he also acknowledged a historic midfielder who played a key role in his career. That player is the English midfielder Steven Gerrard. Although Suarez did not include him in his five-player dream team, he made sure to mention him: “I left Gerrard out, but it was difficult”.

The historic midfielder Steven Gerrard was very important for Luis Suarez at Liverpool. Even when Gerrard retired Suarez gave him some emotional words: “…As the weeks went by Steven showed me the leader that he is. How winning and ambitious he was on the field, but also a close and constant companion. Someone who supported me, always, and who taught me how to bring out the best in me…,” stated Luis Suarez on Instagram.

However, for the midfield, he chose Spanish legend Andres Iniesta, his teammate in 145 matches. Suarez’s tenure at FC Barcelona elevated him to legendary status. His impact was not limited to the club but extended to world soccer. At Barcelona, he scored 195 goals and provided 113 assists. It was the club where he shined the most, both in performance and statistics. His five-player dream team clearly reflects the influence of his time with the Catalan team.

Luis Suarez’s historic partnership with Neymar and Messi: A legendary attacking trio

Another noteworthy detail is his mention of close friends and legendary attacking partners: Neymar and Messi. The trio, known as ‘MSN,’ defined an era with their dazzling style of play. Suarez and Messi combined for 112 goals, while he and Neymar contributed to 40.

Statistically, they were his best attacking partners. However, their impact went beyond numbers. Their legacy is what truly sets them apart. The trio made history by inspiring thousands of young talents. When they shared the field, they looked unstoppable.

Luis Suarez made an underrated impact at Liverpool

For many soccer experts, Luis Suarez’s best form came during his time at Liverpool. His performances in England are considered the peak of his career. Statistically, he scored 82 goals and provided 31 assists in three seasons. His impact on the club was undeniable. Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard also praised Suarez’s brilliance. He called him the best teammate he ever had, saying, “I would say Suarez, simply because he had everything.”

Gerrard even stated that Luis Suarez gave his best from the very first training session: “He immediately trained as if he was playing,” stated Suarez. He also added a curious anecdote he experienced alongside Jamie Carragher and Luis Suarez: “I remember (Jamie) Carragher and I used to say to each other: ‘I don’t want to play against him in training’”.

After leaving an indelible mark at Anfield, Gerrard wrapped up his playing career with the LA Galaxy, carrying invaluable experience from his time in the game. With three World Cup appearances and numerous individual honors under his belt, Gerrard has transitioned to coaching, now sharing his wealth of knowledge from the sidelines.

Currently managing Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League, Gerrard remains a respected voice in the sport. In a recent interview, he didn’t shy away from addressing the timeless debate over soccer’s greatest player.

“Lionel Messi for me,” Gerrard told Gary Neville during an appearance on The Overlap podcast. “But I would never say anything disrespectful about Cristiano Ronaldo because he’s another phenomenal player”.

Gerrard’s dream five-a-side

The former England international even built a five-a-side dream team from players he’s faced, highlighting Messi alongside legends Gianluigi Buffon, Paolo Maldini, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldinho.

“I’m more interested in what you do for the team. What can we achieve together? Ronaldo will win you things, but I’ve always been more of a team player than an individual, so I’ll always choose Messi,” Gerrard explained.

Has Gerrard changed his tune about Messi and Ronaldo?

While Gerrard has often declared Messi as the greatest, recent comments appear to add a new layer to his opinion. In a Saudi Pro League interview, where he now works as a coach and Cristiano Ronaldo is the league’s marquee star, Gerrard offered praise that seemed to shift his stance.

“The arrival of ‘The GOAT,’ as we call Cristiano, was obviously a major signing. He still had plenty of football left in him,” Gerrard said. “For six months, I’ve been following Ronaldo’s results, watching some of his matches and highlights”.

In a 2015 interview with Mike Walters of the Daily Mirror, Gerrard admitted that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were the only players he feared during his career, citing their unmatched ability in the attacking third.

“We are all blessed that we are seeing these two (Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo) in the same era,” Gerrard said. “They are the only two opponents I’ve been afraid of in my career, because they are the only two who have been operating on a different planet to everyone else. The reason I was scared of them is because they are deadly in the final third of the pitch.”

Gerrard’s battles against Messi and Ronaldo

During his illustrious career, Gerrard faced Lionel Messi twice, both encounters coming during the 2006-07 Champions League Round of 16 when Messi was starring for Barcelona.

Against Cristiano Ronaldo, Gerrard squared off numerous times over six seasons while the Portuguese forward played for Manchester United. Additionally, the pair met 11 times in international competition and twice during Ronaldo’s stint with Real Madrid.

Gerrard picks Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo

In the same interview, Gerrard was asked to choose between Messi and Ronaldo. The Liverpool legend leaned toward Messi, citing his team-oriented style of play.

“To split them is almost impossible,” Gerrard said. “If I was forced to pick one, I would probably go for Messi, but that’s only because he’s slightly more of a team player—he might just provide more assists or final passes, but it would be 51 to 49 percent in my mind. If that.”

Gerrard’s legacy at Liverpool

A true Anfield legend, Gerrard spent his entire prime with Liverpool, amassing 710 appearances and 186 goals in all competitions. His trophy cabinet includes three English League Cups, two FA Cups, one UEFA Cup, one Champions League title, and a UEFA Super Cup.

The 2004-05 UEFA Champions League remains Gerrard’s most celebrated triumph. That campaign culminated in the unforgettable comeback against AC Milan in the final, where Liverpool overturned a 3-0 halftime deficit to win on penalties.

Having coached a plethora of world-class talents—such as Luka Modric, Didier Drogba, and Frank Lampard—Benitez made a surprising choice. Speaking on the It Was What It Was podcast, Benitez named former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard as the greatest player he’s ever coached.

“He’s the best player that I have ever coached,” Benitez said. “He was very good, especially at the beginning when we were getting to know each other.”

Benitez and Gerrard enjoyed a fruitful partnership during their time at Liverpool, highlighted by the club’s unforgettable 2004-05 UEFA Champions League triumph. That campaign included the iconic comeback against AC Milan in the final, where Liverpool erased a 3-0 deficit to win on penalties. The duo also claimed the UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup, and Community Shield in the following seasons.

Benitez explains why Gerrard outranks Cristiano Ronaldo

During the podcast, Benitez was asked why he rated Gerrard above Ronaldo, and the Spaniard elaborated. “In terms of a complete player, Stevie had the power, he could score goals, good in the air, both feet, could shoot from distance, short, taking penalties, deliveries, corners, free-kicks,” Benitez explained.

He continued, “Defending, if it was necessary. He had energy, he trained well, and was a good professional. The point with him is he was a box-to-box midfielder from the beginning and little by little, he was understanding the game.”

The complicated relationship between Gerrard and Benitez

Despite their success together, Gerrard and Benitez reportedly had a strained relationship. The Liverpool legend worked under Benitez for six years, making 292 appearances and winning multiple trophies. However, Gerrard has admitted they were never close.

In his autobiography, Gerrard revealed that he and Benitez are no longer in contact. “I don’t think Rafa Benitez liked me as a person,” Gerrard wrote. “I’m not sure why, but that’s the feeling I got from him. I can pick up the phone and speak to all of my previous Liverpool managers. Except for Rafa.”

The arrival of Liverpool idol Steven Gerrard as a first-team coach gave Aston Villa a new lease of life. The team improved its performance, and the players raised their level and which allowed the team to fight as equals against Liverpool and Manchester City. The latter was recorded on the last matchday of the Premier League when the team led by Gerrard scored two goals against the Citizens (they finally lost 3-2, and Manchester City became Premier League champions).

Aston Villa finished the season in 14th place in the league table, and Gerrard knows that for the team to qualify for international cups it needs high-quality players. That’s why the club’s officials have already signed up Philippe Coutinho, Boubacar Kamara, and Diego Carlos. However, Gerrard has his eye on signing an old Liverpool teammate of his to add both quality and hierarchy to Villa’s attack.

Which former star teammate could Gerrard sign?

According to The Telegraph, Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa are considering signing Luis Suarez. The English newspaper claims that the Uruguayan striker is a target of the English team. The 35-year-old did not renew his contract with Atletico Madrid and has become a free agent.

The player himself confessed to Cadena SER’s El Larguero that his wish is to continue playing in Europe as he has his mind set on the Qatar 2022 World Cup. And Aston Villa would give Suarez that chance. The Uruguayan would return to a league he already knows and would be managed by his former Liverpool teammate, Gerrard.

Gerrard played for Liverpool from 1998 to 2015, making 709 appearances and scoring 185 goals. For his part, Suarez played from 2011 to 2014 for the Reds, playing 133 games and scoring 82 goals.

And all indications are that the 41-year-old coach would be delighted to manage the striker. In an interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap, the Aston Villa manager was asked about the best player he played with in his career, and, without hesitation, he said:“I would say, Suarez, simply because he had everything and I mean, how long have you got to describe him?”.

The Brazilian star made a loan move to Villa Park in January after failing to turn up his game at Barcelona. Coutinho was given chances under Ronald Koeman but he never made the best of them, and when Xavi arrived he dropped in the pecking order.

The truth, however, is that he never lived up to the expectations that were around him when Barca splashed $148.50m to sign him from Liverpool. But now that he’s back in England, Coutinho is showing his talent again and Steven Gerrard explained the reasons behind his improvement.

Aston Villa boss Gerrard explains the reasons behind Coutinho’s performances

Aston Villa not only meant a greatoption for Coutinho to revitalizecareer but also to reunite with former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard, who is now at the helm of the Villans.

“He was desperate to come back to the Premier League and we’ve given him everything he needs to go out there and perform,” Gerrard said, as quoted by The Athletic. Besides the player’s motivation, Gerrard believes Coutinho’s physical improvement has also allowed him to make an impression.

“The key thing was to get him up to speed from a physical point of view and we’re still working on that. He can get fitter and stronger and he will do with more training and games,” he said.

But Gerrard also says that Coutinho is happier now and that allows him to go out and deliver great performances.“Then it was about getting him enjoying his football again, being around the boys, smiling and looking forward to playing. You can see in his performance that he feels this is his stage again.”

Aston Villa sit 16th in the Premier League and have lost their last 5 games in a row dropping them to 7 defeats in the campaign. As a result, Dean Smith was sacked as coach as the club had position themselves with a competitive squad at the start of the season.

In an announcement Gerrard thanked Rangers for allowing him to take over Aston Villa, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everybody associated with Glasgow Rangers for giving me the opportunity to manage such an iconic football club. Helping them secure a record-breaking 55th league title will always hold a special place in my heart. I would like to wish the players, staff and supporters the very best for the future.”

Steven Gerrard takes over Aston Villa

Rangers chairman, Douglas Park, took time to thank Gerrard and stated: “He has provided us all with some unforgettable moments, not least his delivery of the Scottish Premiership title back to Ibrox last season having not lost a match in the entire league campaign. In European competition, he has restored the good name and credibility of our club on the continent and leaves us in a very healthy position on the pitch.”

In the meantime, Gerrard is ready for his new challenge of putting Aston Villa back on top of the standings, “Aston Villa is a club with a rich history and tradition in English football and I am immensely proud to become its new head coach. In my conversations with [the owners] Nassef [Sawiris], Wes [Edens] and the rest of the board, it was apparent how ambitious their plans are for the club, and I am looking forward to helping them achieve their aims.”

At Rangers Gerrard achieved a 65% winning record winning 125 games in 193 attempts. During his 2 and a half years in Scotland, Rangers won 1 league title under Gerrard. At Villa Gerrard will have a talented but underachieving squad that will feature, Emiliano Martínez, Leon Bailey, Emiliano Buendía, Ashley Young, among others. Gerrard’s first game in charge is slated to be at home to Brighton on November 20th.

Steve Bruce sees the writing on the wall, and history has indicated when takeovers of this kind have happened before the first out the door are the underwhelming managers these owners inherit. Bruce with very little case, has Newcastle in 19th place and on the road towards relegation with rumors from AS stating he could be fired as early as next week.

Newcastle will be changing a lot of things over the next few years, the first is how they invest and purchase talent as a substantial upgrade is expected, they will also try to have the right manager calling the shots once the cash starts being spent, here are the reported managers Newcastle is said to be looking at.

Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard is currently with Glasgow Rangers in Scotland and recently won the Scottish Premier League, with very little left to do at Rangers a move back to the bright lights of England could be in the cards for the former LA Galaxy and England midfielder. Gerrard was once rumored to be in consideration for the Newcastle job a few seasons back.

Antonio Conte

Antonio Conte is on the shortlist of almost every team with a coaching vacancy and money. Conte would bring credibility to the Newcastle project and would be able to sway players to take a chance and call Newcastle home. If one thing these projects have proven before, despite the big money takeovers, it takes time for big names to make that leap of faith. A good manager is an important start to go A-list.

Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard had a disastrous run as Chelsea manager, and Newcastle is the right job for a second chance. Lampard showed a lot of courage and had a good run at Chelsea but the weight of managing a big club with big ambitions eventually caved in on him. Will Newcastle take that gamble?

Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers is one of the most solid coaches in the UK, and if Newcastle want to tackle getting the best in the Premier League before trying to get the best in global soccer, Brendan Rodgers could be that nexus. Rodgers is a big club manager and Newcastle would provide new ground and a chance to build the squad he wants with near limitless resources.