Real Madrid Castilla boss Zinedine Zidane has said he wishes he’d played alongside Steven Gerrard in his playing days.
The Liverpool captain is set to call time on his 17-year career with the Reds this weekend as he prepares for his move to the MLS with LA Galaxy. The 34-year-old has admitted he turned down an opportunity to join Real Madrid earlier on in his career, when Jose Mourinho was boss at the Santiago Bernabeu.
And speaking to LFCTV, Zidane revealed he would have love to have played with the Englishman. The pair only ever took to the field as opponents.
“I would have really liked to have played alongside him. But he has always remained loyal to his own club, Liverpool, the club of his heart. That also is another characteristic that is particular to him, I don’t think there are too many players who have spent their entire career playing for just one club. That is a great strength of his too. It was never possible, because of course he stayed with Liverpool, but I would have loved to play with a guy like him,” Zidane said.
He went on to say that Gerrard was on of his favourite players to watch.
“He’s a player that I really thought a lot of, I had a lot of time for him and rated him. I can’t say that about everyone. Why did I like him so much? Perhaps there was something about him that reminded me a little bit of myself. He made a lot of noise out there on the field but was quiet off it, meaning that he was someone down to earth and grounded away from the game who just said what needed to be said.”
