No prizes for guessing who Lucas Leiva has outlined as the best player has has lined up alongside during his decade-long Anfield career.
Having said this, it is worth remembering just how many incredible players the Brazilian has worked with during his spell at Liverpool in which time he has seen a number of faces come and go. Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres, Jamie Carragher, Javier Mascherano and Philippe Coutinho represent only a few of a number of talented players who Lucas has played with over the years.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: “I can mention a lot of players but it’s an easy question to answer because Steven Gerrard was an all-round player. I was lucky to work with him for eight years and I have seen him do unbelievable things and having unbelievable seasons. He could score goals but was also a complete player. He is the one who is always in my mind.”
“Sometimes in England, you don’t follow other leagues so when a young player comes through you build him up as world-class too quickly. But Steven showed for a long time how good he was. 100 per cent he would have made the Brazil national team.”
“He did it in the biggest games, not just the Premier League. I remember beating Real Madrid 4-0, the goals he scored and the performance he gave. I think he could mix the way a foreign player plays with the passion and quality as well that the English players have.”
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It had to be Gerrard, didn’t it?
The length of the list of players who have come and gone during the time in which Lucas has spent on Merseyside comes as a reminder of his commitment and incredible service to Liverpool.
Besides this, it reiterates just how valuable a player he has been in terms of the club never being able to justify fulfilling transfer rumours and subsequently selling him. While it was his ability as a holding midfielder alone that saw him become a key figure at one stage, it is now also his experience and leadership that has made him an ideal member of the squad to keep hold of.
What Gerrard brought to Liverpool is unlikely to ever be replicated by another player, yet the passion, the fight and the determination he offered can be seen to still live on in Lucas.