Steven Gerrard wasted no time in naming the only two players who ever “scared” him during his illustrious career.

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard revealed that during his illustrious playing career, he was “afraid” of only two players.

Gerrard, who spent 17 years at Liverpool after signing his first professional contract, faced some of the greatest footballers in history. Despite never winning the Premier League, he achieved significant success, including lifting the Champions League trophy in 2005. On the international stage, Gerrard earned 114 caps for England, captained the team in three major tournaments, and scored 21 goals.

In the final chapter of his career, he spent 18 months with LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer after leaving Liverpool at the end of the 2014/15 season. Throughout his career, he had fierce rivalries with clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal and competed against top European teams such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Bayern Munich.

In a 2015 interview with the Daily Mirror before the Champions League final between Juventus and Barcelona, Gerrard named Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only two players he ever dreaded facing.

He said, “We’re living in an era where Messi and Ronaldo have taken forward play to unprecedented levels. Choosing between them is like comparing Pele and Maradona because their numbers are simply extraordinary. They are the only opponents I’ve been afraid of because they operate on a completely different level from everyone else. Their effectiveness in the final third makes them terrifying to play against.”

Describing Messi, Gerrard called him “a genius with the ball at his feet,” adding, “You often face an impossible decision – either foul him or accept he’s going to get past you. He scores from every angle.”

On Ronaldo, Gerrard remarked, “He’s lethal from set pieces, dominant in the air, scores from long range and close range, and has an incredible physique.”

At the time, Messi and Ronaldo were still competing as fierce rivals for Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively. Since then, Messi has followed in Gerrard’s footsteps by moving to MLS after a storied career in Europe, including a stint with PSG. Ronaldo, now at Al Nassr, continues to play at 39 years old, two years older than Messi, showing no signs of retiring.