I played with Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard – this is who I think was better
The ex-Liverpool and Chelsea forward believes he knows who was the better player out of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard
The debate over who was better out of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard has raged for years(Image: Michael Regan – The FA, The FA via Getty Images)
Fernando Torres reckons Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard held the edge over Chelsea legend Frank Lampard in the debate over who was superior. The former Spanish forward became an Anfield favourite before his contentious switch to the Blues in January 2011.
Liverpool face Chelsea this Saturday, with the two rivals frequently locking horns in the transfer market down the years. Torres’ spell on Merseyside was defined by his near-telepathic understanding with Gerrard. The pair linked up repeatedly to produce some of Anfield’s most memorable goals in recent times.
After netting 81 goals in merely three-and-a-half years, he departed for west London amid controversy. While the striker lifted the Champions League trophy with Chelsea in 2012, it seems his most cherished recollections belong to Anfield. The argument over whether Gerrard or Lampard was the better player has persisted since both emerged onto the scene at the turn of the Millennium.
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Torres, though, showed no hesitation in selecting his preferred choice between the two. In a 2024 video, Torres was challenged to respond to a sequence of ‘this or that’ questions by positioning the ball on the appropriate side of the goal and it’s safe to say the Reds emerged victorious.
Torres chose Anfield ahead of Stamford Bridge. Subsequently, he plumped for Gerrard over Lampard, before completing the hat-trick by selecting ex-Reds boss Rafael Benitez ahead of former Blues coach Jose Mourinho.
The two England legends have repeatedly been compared, with many finding it difficult to choose between two of England’s most talented midfielders.
Italian great Marco Materazzi once opted for Lampard in the discussion. Paul Scholes, who has frequently featured in the debate, preferred to stay neutral, while Rio Ferdinand selected Lampard for his goalscoring prowess but Gerrard for crucial match-winning performances.
Despite his acrimonious exit from Merseyside, Torres made his way back to Anfield in 2024 for a legends fixture against Ajax, where he lined up alongside Gerrard and other club icons. The Kop supporters applauded him as he found the net, representing a poignant moment in his connection with the club.
Torres has spoken openly about his switch to Chelsea, insisting that he believed he had little option but to depart the club. He maintained Liverpool were prioritising the recruitment of emerging talent for long-term development rather than established performers.
“They wanted to bring in young players, to build something new,” Torres is quoted as saying in Simon Hughes’ 2016 book ‘Ring of Fire: Liverpool FC into the 21st Century – The Players’ Stories’.
“I was thinking to myself, this takes time to work. It takes two, three, four, maybe even 10 years. I didn’t have that time. I was 27 years old. I did not have time to wait. I wanted to win. Here we are five years later and they are still trying to build – around the same position in the league as when I left.”
Back in 2019, Torres made clear his lasting devotion to Liverpool, saying: “I’m really proud to say I will support Liverpool forever, it doesn’t matter what happened.
“Even when things between us were not at their best, I felt that I needed to support Liverpool. The city, fans and club will always be in my heart because it’s the way I feel and I cannot change that.”
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