Al-Ettifaq manager Steven Gerrard has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest of all-time – a year after saying the same about Lionel Messi.
The former Liverpool captain, who manages Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, called Ronaldo ‘The GOAT’ in an recent interview showing that he can change his opinion if the money is right.
Gerrard moved to the Middle East in July and has been speaking positively about the Saudi Pro League and Ronaldo’s trend setting impact since arriving in January.
“The arrival of the ‘GOAT’ as we call him, Cristiano, him arriving in January,” Gerrard said, as quoted by the Daily Mail. “Obviously huge signing, still had a lot of football to offer. From afar, for six months, I was looking in at Cristiano Ronaldo’s results, watching some games, watching some highlights.
“I think from that moment, the league around the world became a very popular talking point for everyone.”
🚨Steven Gerrard:
“I think when the GOAT, as we call him, arrived in January, it was a huge deal, and he still has a lot to offer in football. After the arrival of Cristiano the popularity of the league increased & all the big players moved to Saudi.”
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) November 18, 2023
Interestingly, Gerrard thought Messi was the greatest of all-time when Gary Neville asked him the question for an episode of The Overlap, which aired over a year ago.
Gerrard replied: “Lionel Messi for me.”
Greatest player of all time?
🗣️ Steven Gerrard: “Lionel Messi for me.”
— HXN (@Hxnkhany1) November 6, 2023
The former Liverpool midfielder faced Ronaldo many times during his game when the Portuguese star enjoyed his first stint at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Furthermore, Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq side have faced Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr twice this season – beating them once in the league. Al-Nassr won in the King Cup of Champions, though, as Ronaldo played 120 minutes but failed to get on the scoresheet.
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