'He was unreal': Former Liverpool player claims he once had a Reds teammate who was 'like Zidane'

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Still, Kelly played with some excellent footballers during his six years in the Reds first team, and has now claimed that one of them in particular resembled France legend Zinedine Zidane.Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty ImagesSteven Gerrard earns Zinedine Zidane comparisonAlthough Liverpool were struggling to be competitive at the top end of the Premier League during the early 2010s, they arguably should have been doing better.Players like Luis Suarez and Jordan Henderson were key, while Kelly himself was being largely kept out by one of the best right-backs in the country: Glen Johnson.READ MORE: Liverpool eyeing move for Eduardo Camavinga as Real Madrid star fails to win over Xabi Alonso – EXCLUSIVEBut despite all of these players no doubt making an impression on Kelly, when asked by The Athletic to name the best player he came across during his years at Liverpool, it is no surprise to hear the one-cap England international hail Steven Gerrard.“When people ask me who was the best player I played with, by far it’s Steven Gerrard,” Kelly says. For me you can’t compare the two, they did different roles on the pitch.“I’d compare Stevie to someone like Zidane with the way he played.

I saw every day how good he was. He could do anything.

And the loyalty he showed in terms of all the times he could have moved on, it’s something that’s dying in the modern game.”Gerrard all set for Rangers returnPart of what makes Zidane such an all-time great in the mind of footballing fans is not just his brilliance as a player, but his achievements as a manager as well.The Frenchman won three consecutive Champions League titles with Real Madrid, something that is unlikely to be repeated any time soon.For Gerrard, his managerial legacy is less opulent. However, the Scouser is in line for another shot in the dugout with a return to Rangers very much on the cards.As per the Scottish Daily Express, Gerrard re-joining the Glasgow side is virtually a done deal, and could even be announced this weekend.He is clearly some way off matching Zidane, but it is a step in the right direction for Gerrard’s managerial ambitions.