When Liverpool legend Gerrard was a guest on Ferdinand's podcast recently, he talked about his competition with top opponents in the Premier League. Gerrard admired Manchester United legend Roy Keane very much.

He said: "In the early days of my career, people always compared me with Roy Keane and Vieira. At that time, I was only about 20 years old, and they were at their peak. At that time, I felt that I was not a real adult, and my physical development and potential were not fully developed.

"I sometimes feel very difficult to face them, because they are as powerful as machines. I'm not sure their exact age, but I knew at that time that if you meet players like Keane and Vieira, you have to work extra hard to compete with them. To beat them, I had to go beyond my current level.

"I think the current football world is more inclined to praise players who contribute 'key moments'. For example, if you score a good goal or assist once, the statistics will immediately show 'He has 10 assists and 10 goals' and so on. But in fact, you should carefully observe the player's performance with and without the ball, as well as leadership and other aspects.

"In my opinion, Roy Keane is the best among midfielders. He's always in the right position, he's tough, his movement and tracking are excellent. Keane has strong physical confrontation ability and can run past his opponents and quickly return to defense.

"And I think Keane's short passing is also underestimated. He can pass the opponent's defense and change the rhythm of the game. He can also get rid of opponents. I think Keane has all the qualities and has scored a lot of important goals at critical moments.

"This is the standard by which I evaluate a midfielder, and I will judge him in all aspects. Whether measured by a season, a period of performance, or even a game, not many people can compare to Roy Keane. "