Steven Gerrard names player he wanted Liverpool to sign before rivals sealed transfer

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Daily Express or go back to LFC Live.

Read our Privacy PolicyGerrard has since heaped praise on the Arsenal star, insisting he possesses the ideal attributes for a central midfielder.Speaking on the Smith Brothers podcast, the former Liverpool skipper revealed: "I love Declan Rice, I've been singing his praises for a long time. He was calm in possession, an animal out of it, up and down, I really like him as a person as well."I think he's really getting into that class where he's becoming a world-class midfielder.

I don't know whether we did but imagine him in this midfield now."It's not the first time Gerrard has showered the midfielder with similar acclaim, suggesting Rice's switch to Arsenal has elevated his performances to new heights."In the Premier League, I think Declan Rice is a really, really good midfielder," he added.Rice has emerged as one of the world's best midfielders since joining Arsenal (Image: Getty)"I like an awful lot about him. I like the kid, I like his mentality, I like the way he's gone to the next level at Arsenal, he's adding different things to his game.

I was bouncing all over the city four or five months ago when Liverpool won the league."Gerrard's devotion to his boyhood club shone through as he added: "I'm a Liverpool fan. I want the best for Liverpool.