The Lampard-Gerrard-Scholes debate is nearly as old as time itself at this stage. It's fair to say the trio never really learned to co-exist at international level, while arguments over who was the best players amongst that group has persisted well beyond their respective retirements.
The opinions held by supporters is usually down to club loyalties. For neutrals, there you can make a genuine case for each player.
Scholes was a remarkable playmaker, with a passing range the other two couldn't match. He also won by far the most trophies out of the group. Lampard was undoubtedly the best goalscorer, while he was also the main man at Chelsea during their rise. Gerrard had a bit of everything, and while he won less trophies, was forced to carry a team far less talented than the other two.
However, for Michael Owen there was only one winner. The former Ballon d'Or played with all three at international level, while was also a teammate of Gerrard and Scholes at club level.
Speaking on Jamie Carragher's The Greatest Game podcast, Owen said that if he could have only one in his team, it would be Gerrard every time:
If you watch Scholesy in training, your tongue is hanging out.
He can give you the eyes, you can think he’s heading it that way and he’ll almost do a reverse spinner off the other side of his head. He can drop a ball on a sixpence. He is just total and utter genius.
But there’s that and there’s the actual practicalities of playing on a big pitch where you need size, strength, substance, running ability, all these things.
And if you play one v one, you against you, Stevie against any of the names that you’ve played, I think he would eat them for dinner.
Someone like Scholesy obviously had different attributes. I mean, unbelievable the way he changed his game from being a bombing midfielder scoring to a quarterback. Total genius.
Frank Lampard, who can question his goalscoring and how he got every ounce out of his ability?
But to me, Stevie’s on a different level than anything I’ve seen or played with and as you’ve said, I’m not blowing smoke up my a***, I’ve played with some great Man United players, Liverpool players, Real Madrid, England. Put it this way.
If I’m saying tomorrow rewind the clock, you’re going into battle now, you’re playing in the Champions League final, who’s your first pick? I’d have Steven Gerrard as my first pick out of anyone.
