The debate surrounding who was the better player out of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Paul Scholes remains one of the biggest arguments in Premier League history. It was fiercely debated in their playing careers, and remains a point of contention to this day.
All three midfielders won major trophies and became icons for their respective clubs. Although you’re unlikely to get an impartial answer from Liverpool, Chelsea, or Manchester United fans, I’m going to try and weigh up the arguments and come to as impartial a conclusion as possible, drawing on perspectives shaped by contemporary football analytics research.
I’m not going to touch the England debate as that’s a whole different matter entirely.
Steven Gerrard
Starting with Steven Gerrard, I believe he was arguably the most complete midfielder of the three.
He excelled in virtually all areas of the outfield game, defending with distinction just as effectively as he led attacks from the midfield. He dug his team out of countless holes in the 2000s and 2010s, and had they not had a player like him to call upon, Liverpool’s history during this era would likely have looked very different.
The two obvious standouts here are the Champions League Final in Istanbul, where the Reds came back from 3-0 down at half-time to win on penalties, and the 2006 FA Cup Final against West Ham United, where Liverpool again won on penalties after going 2-0 down inside 30 minutes.
The Biggest Criticism of Gerrard
Steven Gerrard picked up several major honours during his playing career, but despite coming close on a number of occasions, the Premier League wasn’t one of them.
However, Gerrard’s time at Liverpool saw the league dominated by Chelsea and Manchester United. As good as Gerrard undoubtedly was, even he couldn’t carry Liverpool single-handedly.
This lack of a Premier League trophy is why many neutrals and rival fans argue that Gerrard doesn’t win this debate.
Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard remains the highest-scoring midfielder in Premier League history, racking up 147 goals during his time at Chelsea. He was also an excellent creator, with 89 assists to his name throughout his tenure with the Blues.
Lampard is one of only a small number of players to have achieved multiple 20+ goal seasons with the same club, and during this time he led the team to multiple major honours including back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006, back-to-back FA Cups in 2009 and 2010, the Champions League in 2012, and the Europa League in 2013.
Chelsea may have burned through managers in West London, but Lampard’s quality and performances never wavered. Had it not been for Lampard, it’s highly likely that Manchester United would have dominated the league during the 2000s and early 2010s even more than they already did.
Criticism of Lampard
The main criticism aimed at Lampard is that he operated in stronger teams with more protection around him. He often played behind elite defensive midfielders such as Claude Makélélé and Michael Essien, who did the vital, but far less glamorous, work that enabled him to shine.
Critics also argue that while Lampard was outstanding, he was less naturally gifted technically than Scholes or Gerrard, although this is a much more contentious point.
Paul Scholes: The Football Purist’s Favourite
Paul Scholes ultimately claims the title of having the greatest technical ability. Many legends of the game, such as Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, and Zinedine Zidane have lavished praise on Scholes, and he was always one of the first players approached after the final whistle by opponents looking to swap shirts.
At his peak, Scholes controlled matches almost effortlessly, with a total of 155 goals and 83 assists in all competitions throughout his tenure at Old Trafford. Even when he didn’t have the ball, he orchestrated Manchester United’s games with ease, and with a work ethic that matched his skill, he helped Manchester United win virtually everything available at club level, including eleven Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, and three FA Cups.
Altogether, Scholes won an incredible 25 trophies during his time as a player, and although there are numerous players who have earned praise for United’s trophy-laden years, few were as influential as he was.
Criticism of Scholes
The biggest criticism of Scholes is that he was rarely asked to carry teams the way Gerrard often did.
Manchester United’s teams over the years were consistently filled with world-class players, and many critics make the very valid point that this made it far easier for Scholes to win as much silverware as he did.
Who Performed Best in Big Games?
All three players in this debate played major roles in winning silverware, but Gerrard ultimately comes out on top as the greatest big-game player.
He repeatedly delivered in both finals and knockout matches, and did so at a time when Liverpool had a much weaker squad overall than both Chelsea and Manchester United.
Who Had the Better Career?
This depends entirely on what you prioritise when measuring greatness.
If you value trophies, Scholes probably wins.
If you value goals and statistics, Lampard wins.
Finally, if you value individual ability, Gerrard is the most likely pick.
What Do Former Players Think?
Interestingly, many former footballers choose Scholes as the best pure footballer, whereas fans and pundits often lean toward Gerrard because of his ability to influence games in every area of the pitch and numerous big-game moments where he saved Liverpool from the jaws of defeat.
Final Verdict
There may never be a definitive answer to this debate because all three midfielders mastered different aspects of football.
Paul Scholes was likely the most technically refined and intelligent passer, Frank Lampard was the most productive and statistically dominant, and Steven Gerrard was arguably the most complete all-round footballer, as well as the player most capable of dragging a team to victory single-handedly.
As far as individual playing performance goes, I have to ultimately give the throne to Gerrard. You can’t control your teammates, and, given what he was up against, it’s amazing he managed to win as much as he did. He has the fewest trophies, but is the best individual talent.
