Football is constantly evolving, and it’s that fact that makes it enticing to wonder whether a legend of another era would fit into a modern-day team.
For Arsenal, it’s The Invincibles that are often referenced as the gold standard for club icons, having achieved one of the most impressive feats in Premier League history.
Many have questioned whether fan favourites such as Patrick Vieira or Thierry Henry could compete with the current setup under Mikel Arteta.
However, the same can be asked of other Premier League greats over the past 30 or so years.
Steven Gerrard, who was a standout star for Liverpool during a rocky period of time, was asked that exact question, and the answer he gave is quite telling.
Steven Gerrard claims he would start in the current Arsenal midfield
Steven Gerrard is one of the greatest midfielders to grace the Premier League stage, having done so from 1998 until 2015.
In that 17-year career in England, he won the Champions League, three League Cups and two FA Cups, but missed out on winning the whole league.
Despite that, his legacy still remains as one of the best, and he even backs himself to this day.
Gerrard was asked by ESPN to say yes or no to whether he, in his prime, would start in any of the current midfield setups.
When it came to Arsenal, he said yes, along with fellow Premier League sides Manchester City and Liverpool.
Gerrard could play a range of positions in midfield, from the deeper role to the number eight and even as a number ten.
His passing range made him ideal to feature further back, but he had some energy and ball-striking that made him perfect for a more advanced position.
The comparisons to one Arsenal star, as a result, are pretty clear.
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Declan Rice is Arsenal’s own Steven Gerrard
While some may question how comparable the two are, it’s pretty clear that Declan Rice is Arsenal’s own Steven Gerrard.
He is capable of playing that deeper role, though Mikel Arteta has shaped him into a threat in the more advanced areas.
It’s not just their versatility in the midfield that create the similarities, as the moments they produce can be matches as well.
Gerrard was known for picking his moments well, carrying Liverpool on his back at times with some special times in his career.
Rice has shown glimmers of that, starting off with his free-kick brace for Arsenal against Real Madrid last season.
Rio Ferdinand even compared it to a moment like Gerrard, as he said on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast: “Every top player needs a stand-out moment and you go, ‘I remember where I was that day when Declan Rice done that’.
“He hadn’t had that yet in an Arsenal shirt. This was that moment for him. To then see him grab a game like that… I wonder what that does for him moving forward now. He’s done it. Confidence-wise, it does a lot.”
Whether he can reach the levels of Gerrard and beyond remains to be seen, but there will be some confidence there that he can manage it.
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