Joe Cole has now given his thoughts on whether Kevin De Bruyne or Steven Gerrard has been the superior midfielder.
The Belgian skipper is often likened to the Liverpool legend because out of all the former midfielders in the Premier League, his style resembles the latter’s the most.
After all, Paul Scholes was truly at his best as a number eight.
Frank Lampard’s standout trait was his ability to make intelligent third man runs and score goals amidst other world-class characteristics.
Kevin De Bruyne’s style of play cannot be compared to either, especially as his finest attribute is neither goalscoring nor controlling games but being a creator.
Steven Gerrard especially showcased this ability as well when he was deployed as an attacking midfielder when he played behind Fernando Torres.
Both the Manchester City and the Liverpool icons are perhaps most similar in the sense that they can be classified as all-action midfielders.
Joe Cole settles Kevin De Bruyne-Steven Gerrard debate
Some argue that De Bruyne is simply a superior player to Gerrard as the 32-year-old’s quality in the final third does make him much more of a game-changing presence than the latter.
In addition, the Englishman’s lack of a Premier League title unlike Kevin De Bruyne, who has five to his name is viewed as a stick to beat the former with.
However, Gerrard is viewed by many as the most well-rounded midfielder in Premier League history, as he was a threat going forward, brilliant defensively and could play a range of positions in midfield.
In that sense, De Bruyne perhaps is not seen as a player who is as complete as Gerrard was.
Furthermore, while some believe credit needs to be afforded to the Belgian for being the fulcrum of arguably the best team in Premier League history, others feel the Al-Ettifaq boss has an edge over the rest because of how brilliant he was for a largely mediocre Reds side.
Now, Cole has given his take on the matter.
According to Joe Cole, who played with Steven Gerrard for Liverpool and for England, Kevin De Bruyne is superior to him and is the greatest midfielder to have ever graced the Premier League.
“I think he sits above everyone, I really do, and I include Frank [Lampard] and [Paul] Scholes and Stevie [Steven Gerrard] and everyone”, he said on TNT Sports.
“I think he’s moving up and they are great players of their time and it’s always difficult to compare eras because the game, the rules change, the pitch has changed, the ball has changed, the training methods, everything changes but he’s certainly the best of this era and he’s just outstanding.”
Even Jurgen Klopp admitted in March that Manchester City’s number 17 is on the same level as Steven Gerrard.
It is telling that Joe Cole made this admission about Kevin De Bruyne
Considering Joe Cole played with not just Steven Gerrard but Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes and he still rates Kevin De Bruyne than all of his countrymen is telling of how exceptional the City maestro is.
De Bruyne has performed at such a high standard that unless is watching him from a biased lens, they will have no choice but to name him amongst or even above some of the midfield greats.
Of course, some will continue to favour Gerrard or even the likes of Lampard and Scholes over the former VFL Wolfsburg technician.
But for Cole to name De Bruyne above some of his former teammates is also an indicator of how well his legacy will age as he continues to stun the world with his showings.