Paul Ince: 'Drunk compared Szoboszlai to Gerrard'
"If anyone compares Liverpool midfielders to Gerrard, they need to stay away from bars and stop drinking," Ince told LuckyBlock on September 7. "Football will never have another player like Gerrard, or Patrick Viera, Roy Keane. Gerrard is all-round and you can't compare anyone with him. I've played with and against Gerrard, and see him as one of the greatest players in history."
Gerrard is a monument to Liverpool, playing for the club from 1998 to 2015, winning one Champions League, one UEFA Cup, one European Super Cup, two FA Cups, three League Cups and an English Super Cup. He has captained Liverpool since 2003, under Gerard Houllier. Two years later, the English player and the team won the Champions League after one of the classic finals of this tournament against AC Milan. In 2015 - 10 years after the above match, Gerrard was voted by Liverpool fans as the best player in the club's history.
In the summer of 2023, Szoboszlai landed at Anfield for 76 million USD, wearing Gerrard's number 8 shirt. Explaining the choice of this shirt number, the Hungarian midfielder said that he considers Gerrard an idol and once tattooed on his arm a saying about the British legend, saying: "Talent is endowed, but it will not be valuable if it is not. lacks strong will and humility".
Szoboszlai started impressively, playing in all four opening Premier League matches, when Liverpool drew 1-1 with Chelsea, won 3-1 against Bournemouth, 2-1 Newcastle and 3-0 Aston Villa. In particular, the Hungarian midfielder scored a super goal from outside the penalty area to open the score in the 3rd minute of the match against Aston Villa, making fans think of Gerrard.
"In my day, you had to play well for a decade to get world-class acclaim. Now a player only needs three or four good games to be like that. But things don't go that way. That way. Or at least not the way I see it," Ince added.
Szoboszlai is one of Liverpool's four new recruits this summer, alongside Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo. On the contrary, Anfield's owner parted ways with James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino.
Liverpool is currently ranked third in the Premier League with 10 points, equal to Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham, and two points behind Man City. After a break to make room for the national team, Liverpool will be a guest of Wolves in round five of the Premier League on September 16 and then march to LASK's field in the opening round of Group E Champions League on September 21.
Ince played for many English clubs such as West Ham in the period 1986-1989, Liverpool 1997-1999, Middlesbrough 1999-2002, Wolves 2002-2006, but was most successful in Man Utd in the period 1989-1995. He scored 28 goals in 281 matches, won two Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, one League Cup, three English Super Cups, one European Cup Winners' Cup and one European Super Cup.
