Federico Valverde has expressed his delight after he was compared to former Liverpool ace Steven Gerrard as the Real Madrid man explained his motivation to improve.
The comparison started when Uruguay forward Luis Suarez claimed that Valverde reminded him of Gerrard with the manner he played football, highlighting his box-to-box qualities amongst other things. The 24-year-old set-up Real's winning goal in their 1-0 win over Liverpool in the Champions League final in May.
Valverde has been in fine form for Los Blancos so far this season and it has seen him compared to Gerrard and a number of other legendary midfielders in the game. He has scored four goals and chipped in with two assists in 11 games so far this season, with Valverde arguably playing the best football of his career.
When asked about comparisons to Gerrard, Valverde told infobae : "It's spectacular when you are compared to such a player, to a star, a world idol, not just a Liverpool one. It’s amazing.
"I see characteristics of him, obviously, I’m not going to say no, but one always looks out for one self. I also want to leave my name and my mark in the world of football, not just Madrid but in the national team."
Gerrard retired from football in 2016 after an illustrious playing career, where he spent over 20 years at Liverpool and the final two seasons at LA Galaxy. The Liverpool-born midfielder scored over 100 Premier League goals and also won the Champions League in 2005. Given the calibre of player that Gerrard was, it is a huge compliment for Valverde to be mentioned in the same breath.
Does Federico Valverde remind you of Steven Gerrard? Let us know in the comments below!
With six goal involvements in 11 matches, Valverde has been extremely successful this season, even when deployed in a wide attacking role with Vinicius Jr on the other side. However, Valverde prefers to play in the midfield as it gives him more freedom.
"I feel very good in the middle," he said. "I think that is where I can show my qualities the most and help the team, in defence and attack. When you play there you have more freedom than on the wing."
Valverde will be looking to go into the World Cup in the best possible form as Uruguay try and cause an upset at the tournament. They face South Korea in their first group game, before taking on Portugal and Ghana, and Valverde has ambitions to win the whole thing.
"We have the illusion of winning the World Cup and bringing that little gift to the whole country that they deserve so much."
