'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
AC Milan ace Ruben Loftus-Cheek has named Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard as the best midfielder in the history of the Premier League over Chelsea legend Frank Lampard.
During an interaction with Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Loftus-Cheek was asked to rank three legendary Premier League midfielders. He ranked Gerrard in first spot, Lampard in second, and Manchester United legend David Beckham in third place in the end.
Gerrard, who is currently the manager of Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ettifaq, played in the Premier League for Liverpool between 1998 and 2015. The all-action box-to-box midfielder scored 120 goals and contributed 92 assists in 504 league matches for the Anfield club.
Lampard, on the other hand, featured in the Premier League for West Ham United, Chelsea, and Manchester City between 1996 and 2015. He netted a whopping 177 goals and registered 102 assists in 609 joint league appearances for the aforesaid three English sides.
Meanwhile, Loftus-Cheek played in the Premier League for Chelsea for eight years between 2015 and 2023. The 28-year-old scored 10 goals and laid out nine assists in 157 Premier League games for the Blues.
Chelsea boss opines on pre-season tour
During a press conference, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca was asked to offer his thoughts on his side's ongoing pre-season tour of the United States. He replied (h/t football.london):
"It was a good moment for different reasons, to see the fans from outside the [United Kingdom]. Five games in 17 or 18 days is a lot of games. In this moment, the ideal situation would be to prepare for the games but for most of the games, we have been without the preparation. We didn't prepare the game with the training session like we are used to doing during a normal season."
Maresca, who replaced Mauricio Pochettino at the Blues, concluded:
"Some of the games, we just prepared with a video or the tactical board. We tried to adapt and I think we had a very good two weeks in Cobham. We have one week or 10 days in Cobham when we go back. For me, the real pre-season has been the two weeks at Cobham and the week or 10 days we have at Cobham. Here, it has been a mixed feeling."
Chelsea have won just one of their four pre-season matches so far.
Maresca's side will finish the tour of the United States with a friendly match against La Liga giants Real Madrid in Charlotte this Tuesday.
