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Paul Scholes Names Surprise 34-Cap England Ace Who Was ‘Better’ Than Lampard and Gerrard

Oct 24, 2026, 9:00 AM GMT+1

Robin Mumford is a journalist for GiveMeSport, covering mainly Champions League and Premier League football.

He joined in April 2024, having previously worked at VAVEL as Deputy Editor-in-Chief, where he produced a variety of content, including pieces from press conferences and games. He also won an award for his role as lead editor for the Women's Football section of the online newspaper.

Covering football all across Europe, he has worked at stadiums such as Anfield, Old Trafford, and Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park, as well as having reported at both the 2023 men's and women's Champions League finals in Eindhoven and Istanbul.

He is infatuated with every aspect of football, but likes other sports as well, being an avid coffee-desperate Buffalo Bills supporter from across the pond and a darts' newbie.

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Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes has made a bombshell claim that one of his ex-England teammates was a 'better midfielder' than both Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

Of course, the Lampard-Scholes-Gerrard debate is one that frequently crops up. All three are considered among their nations' greatest-ever, with no other in their position coming close to their quality in the last 20 years or so.

But in a recent game of 'winner stays on', Scholes claimed that one of his other international teammates is actually better than them, having also picked him ahead of the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Kevin De Bruyne.

Scholes Has Completely New Answer to Gerrard and Lampard Debate

lampard gerrard

During a recent segment on 'The Good, The Bad, and The Football' podcast, the Ginger Prince - an 11-time Premier League winner and recipient of two Champions League titles - raised some eyebrows over his picks for the best midfielders in English topflight history.

Only Roy Keane beat current Red Devils' boss Michael Carrick based on his picks, with the underrated midfielder being selected ahead of the aforementioned Gerrard, Lampard, Fernandes, De Bruyne, as well as Xabi Alonso, David Silva, Declan Rice, Ngolo Kante, Patrick Vieira, Cesc Fabregas, and Yaya Toure. Watch the full segment below:

Carrick only played for the Three Lions 39 times, which is far inferior to the 100 plus that his rivals for a position racked up, most notably during the so-called 'Golden Generation'.

Then again, though, nothing can take away from the fact his trophy cabinet is shinier, and he's been crowned among the most underrated workhorses by the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson - credit that more than speaks for itself.

Each of their Managerial Careers Look Vastly Different to Each Other

Michael Carrick
Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

While Scholes is yet to venture into the extremely stressful world of football management, preferring to stick to punditry, Carrick, Gerrard, and Lampard have all done it with varying degrees of success.

As things stand, Gerrard's CV is the weakest in that department, having won the Scottish Championship with Rangers, but then struggling to kick on at Aston Villa and Al-Ettifaq.

Rangers Gerrard Trophy

Who the better manager is out of the other two is a little trickier to work out. But while Carrick has developed an early habit of making a fast start before seeing his stints at Middlesbrough and Man United fizz out.

For example, he won more points than any other Premier League boss in the second-half of last term, but now faces the sack after a winless run of seven matches.

In stark contrast, Frank Lampard has been on an upward trajectory. Failings in the topflight with Chelsea and Everton forced him to do some soul-searching with Derby County - whom he made the Championship Playoffs with - before making a name for hismelf at Coventry, where he won the league and is now steadying them in their first term back in the big time since 2001.

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