Steven Gerrard: Totti is the King of Rome

Though they never played together, Gerrard - who spent 17 seasons and made 710 appearances at his hometown club - has never made any secret of how much he respects the Giallorossi captain.

“Totti is a fantastic technician; he’s a wonderful footballer,” claimed Gerrard, who now plays for LA Galaxy. “The reason I’ve got so much respect for him is because he’s got all the pressure on his shoulders in Rome. He’s the king of Rome. Having played for Liverpool, a big club, I understand the responsibility and the pressure he’s got to deliver for the supporters. I’ve been there and I’ve seen it with my own eyes. They idolise him over there and that comes with its own pressure. So to perform consistently for Roma, for such a long time and stay loyal, I’ve got an awful lot of respect for him. He’s certainly a legend over in Italy."

"He could see things on the pitch that other players couldn’t really see. He would’ve been a joy to play with. I’ve managed to meet him a couple times along the way as well and he seems like a good guy as well. I would’ve loved to have played in the same team as him. I remember we signed Alberto Aquilani and I was saying to him, ‘What’s De Rossi like and what’s Totti like?’"

- Steven Gerrard

“I think when you get close to him, you realise how strong he is on the ball. He picks up some wonderful positions between the lines. I remember playing the holding role against him one time and he was always out of sight. He always picked up clever positions in the number 10 role and the ball was like Velcro to his boot.

"He was very skillful and maneuvered the ball very well. And his vision, he could see things on the pitch that other players couldn’t really see. As a player, I’ve got unbelievable respect for him. I’ve managed to meet him a couple times along the way as well and he seems like a good guy as well.

“He’s shown incredible loyalty to his club and his badge and he deserves all the plaudits and merits he gets. I can only add to that. It’s been a pleasure to compete against him a couple of times and I certainly would’ve loved to have played in the same team as him. He’s certainly the type of player that would be on the wavelength that I’d be looking for.

“He would’ve been a joy to play with. I remember we signed Alberto Aquilani and I was saying to him, ‘What’s De Rossi like and what’s Totti like?’ and he spoke volumes about them. And that's when you get a flavour for what people are really like. He was saying that basically those two have carried Roma for so many years. They deserve all the plaudits they get.”

The respect between the two footballing icons appears to be mutual.

When Gerrard played his final game for Liverpool in May 2015, Totti took time out from his busy schedule to appear in an LFC TV documentary about the Kop favourite.

“I'd put him in the top three, not just in England but in the world because he's a complete player, someone who's always made the difference ever since he was young," Totti revealed in the show. "Ultimately he's a player I like to watch and enjoy up close. The Liverpool fans should be honored to have had a captain like him."

“Would I have liked to play alongside him? I think anyone would love to play with players of that calibre. He's a terrific player; he's a match winner, so I think he's a player any club in the world would want."

- Francesco Totti

“I've got both positive and negative memories of Steven Gerrard because it's always great to come up against players like him. That said, I don't have particularly fond memories of playing against Liverpool, especially at their place. They were always open games but ultimately the results were negative.

“Would I have liked to play alongside him? I think anyone would love to play with players of that calibre. He's a terrific player; he's a match winner, so I think he's a player any club in the world would want.

“Gerrard is a complete player because he can play in every position and can do everything with a football at any time in a game. He's a player who scores goals, who builds the play, he's a sensational player.

“I think people all over the world know that Gerrard has been a Liverpool legend. He spent many years playing for one team and has always fought for that club. He should be respected and thanked for everything he's achieved.”