It is hard to believe there has been a more complete player in the history of football – not just in England but in any part of the world – than Steven Gerrard.

That may seem like an incredibly bold statement, and a case of hyperbole, but I will happily stand by it.

There have been better players, of course; just none who could excel in so many different ways, and in so many different positions.

At Liverpool, it would take a special player to usurp 'King' Kenny Dalglish as the club's greatest-ever player, while Billy Liddell is still revered by fans with longer memories. John Barnes - winner of the Football Writers' Player of the Year twice in three seasons - was a quite sublime attacking force, creating chances and scoring goals with panache in abundance. At the back, Alan Hansen was a cool, composed master, and in midfield, Graeme Souness' shadow still looms large.

Souness was the consummate competitor, a fearsome character (in an age when you could still physically intimidate the opposition) who controlled the tempo of matches, sprayed passes around and scored goals. (All the while managing - somehow - to look inordinately hard whilst sporting a silly perm and a moustache: perhaps his greatest achievement.)

Terry McDermott, a man who played alongside Souness at Liverpool during the halcyon years, previously told this website: "I've gone on record about this before and I'll say it again, Steven Gerrard is possibly the finest midfield player ever to play for Liverpool Football Club."

It is Gerrard's physical strengths - pace, athleticism, and considerable height - that make him such a phenomenal all-rounder, when added to his natural ability with a football. Souness, while the undoubted paragon of central midfielders, could not match Gerrard's all-round effectiveness, in that the Scot could only really play that one role, whereas his Scouse successor has played - and won rave reviews - in nearly every position for the club.

Centre back, right midfield, right back, left back, the lone striker, and just off the main forward: the positions Gerrard has played for Liverpool. With the exception of a few brief appearances late in games as a striker in 2004/05, he has excelled in every role.

I was at Villa Park for a game in 2000, when Gerrard was forced to move to left-back in an emergency. It was as though he'd played there his entire career. In the 1999/00 Mersey derby at Anfield, he played right back, with quite stunning results at both ends of the pitch. That's the versatility of the man.

There have been taller players who were better in the air, fractionally quicker players, tougher players, more skillful players; there have been players (but not many) with a better shot; some players may have had better levels of stamina, and covered more ground, although it's hard to think who. Better crossers of the ball have graced the game, but again, they are scarce.
Frank Lampard is an excellent all-round midfielder, but there's not one area of his game where he outranks Gerrard; Lampard only gets the attacking midfield role for England because, unlike Gerrard, he can't excel in other positions. Despite their canniness, neither Patrick Vieira nor Roy Keane could pass the ball 60-yards like Gerrard, or shoot so dangerously from 30.

Gerrard has a bit of everything; he is like a celestial experiment conducted by Messrs. Shankly and Paisley to create the ultimate modern footballer: a hybrid of Souness, McDermott, Dalglish, Lawrenson, Barnes, with a little bit (if not all) of the magic of each.

There have been a handful of better passers of a football in world football, but none could also tackle like Gerrard. There have been better tacklers, but none who could also pass over long distances like the current captain.

There have been taller players who were better in the air, fractionally quicker players, tougher players, more skillful players; there have been players (but not many) with a better shot; some players may have had better levels of stamina, and covered more ground, although it's hard to think who. Better crossers of the ball have graced the game, but again, they are scarce.

There have been midfielders who have scored more goals, although the way he's going this season, Gerrard may even eclipse those. In all competitions this season, Gerrard stands above Lampard, the man seen as the ultimate goalscoring midfielder. But whereas Gerrard shares free-kick duties with Xabi Alonso and John Arne Riise amongst others, Lampard seems to take all Chelsea's direct set-pieces. He also takes Chelsea's penalties, although Gerrard has recently started taking them for the Reds.

Now he is playing in an equally consistent side, you can see just how superior Gerrard is to his Chelsea counterpart.

So there have been players who have eclipsed Gerrard in certain arts of the game. But have all the key footballing requirements ever before been bound up in one man? Has a player ever been able to not just play but excel in every aspect of the game, and in every outfield position?

A favourite maxim of Gerard Houllier was that a manager does not omit a player on account of what that player cannot do - but instead plays him because of what he can.

Almost every major talent in the history of the game can be criticised for having at least one major flaw: John Barnes, like Johan Cruyff, Thierry Henry and Michel Platini, was no hard-working tackler; Kenny Dalglish and Bobby Moore both lacked pace; Paul Gascoigne and George Best had self-destructive streaks; Maradona was short and podgy; and so on.

Houllier was right - it would be absolute madness to not select these players on account of their weaknesses. Given their match-winning strengths, you would simply surround them with players who compensate, to make the perfect blend.

But as hard as you look, you cannot find a single reason to omit Steven Gerrard on account of what he cannot do. He is not perfect, but has minor flaws rather than glaring holes in his game.

The new Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard is now the star of an excellent side; gone are the mentions of the Reds being a one-man team (or two, when Owen was around). Too often in the past, Gerrard seemed the only Red prepared to take control of the ball, and control of the game. At times, he was guilty of doing too much, but that was understandable given the way his team-mates looked to him to get them out of a tight spot, almost helplessly so at times.

This is where Benitez has been so clever: surrounding the captain with players who are clearly good enough to be in the same midfield (which hadn't always the case), therefore taking some of the pressure off Gerrard's shoulders; and by ensuring that those players naturally complement Gerrard's game, which the manager has also subtly tweaked.

In the past I felt Gerrard, for all his effectiveness in the role, was wasted on the right of midfield - he was just so essential in the middle, where he could be central to the action.

But such is the strength of this current midfield, he can play on the flank and still be involved in the game for the entire 90 minutes.

As the Reds now look to keep possession more than under Houllier, Gerrard isn't 'out of the game' by being in a wide area. In fact, Xabi Alonso can find him at will, and almost without looking, while the flexibility of the system allows the captain to wander infield if there is an opportunity to do some damage.

If you are in space in wide areas, the key is often the quick diagonal pass. If the ball is shuffled across to you in stages, the opposition can likewise shuffle across in adjustment. Without Alonso to find him at the right moment, Gerrard would be a lot less effective, and more likely to get frustrated through a sense of isolation.

Alonso's presence has allowed Gerrard to flourish. The mutual respect and understanding between the two is ajoy to behold; in each other they recognise a genius ballplayer. Gerrard is an unstoppable force when motoring forward, with or without the ball. He is timing his runs to perfection, waiting for the moment Alonso will fire the ball forward, or anticipating a sure lay-off from Peter Crouch or Fernando Morientes.

Having Alonso start the moves from deep with his tremendous range of passing allows Gerrard the freedom to push forward; making runs in behind the opposition defence, rather than being the one dropping deep to get the ball off the centre halves to start things off.

Before Benitez arrived, it was too common a sight to see Didi Hamann, whose primary role was shielding the centre backs, joined in deep areas by Gerrard, who was looking to get the ball and start a move; leaving the two central midfielders within touching distance of Hyypia and Henchoz. It made no sense, bunching up play and limiting the side's passing options.

Benitez has constructed a framework where Gerrard, either from the centre or the right, can use his pace, strength and skill to devastating effect.

All this, and he's still just 25. I can't wait to see him in two years' time, as he approaches his peak.

The above is an updated chapter from 'Golden Past, Red Future'.

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