'I've played with Cristiano Ronaldo and vs Lionel Messi – but Liverpool icon is my GOAT'

Adrien Rabiot has played with and amid the highest of stakes against - but neither made the cut for his top three footballers of all time. The French midfielder was a team-mate of Ronaldo's for two years at

And he and his fellow countrymen were defeated by Messi's Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final. That result, for many, settled the at least between the victorious captain and his Portuguese counterpart Ronaldo.

However, there wasn't room for either as Rabiot named his three favourite players. He instead selected legend as his GOAT.

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Rabiot, a childhood admirer of Gerrard's midfield mastery at Anfield, named his picks on the France national team’s . Revealing his top three, Rabiot explained: "Third, Kaka. He was a player that I found very elegant.

"Able to score, to make others score, to be a player who attacked but was still part of the collective. This is the kind of player that I like.

"[Zinedine] Zidane, obviously, for the same reasons, the same characteristics. And he is French, we grew up with him. It was an iconic French player. He did extraordinary things.

"The player that I really liked a lot was Steven Gerrard since I was very young. He played his entire career at Liverpool. He was an iconic player for Liverpool in the

"He was able to attack, to defend, had an incredible shot, scored a lot of goals and he was also a player who worked for the collective, who put his team first. This is the type of player and character that I like."

Ronaldo was also overlooked in favour of Gerrard by ex-Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez when asked about the top player he's ever managed. On last year, Benitez said: "I've said it before, he's the best player I have ever coached.

"He was very good and at the beginning when we were knowing each other. In terms of a complete player. Stevie has the power, he could score goals, good in the air, both feet.

"He could shoot from distance, short, deliveries, defending, he has energy, he trained well, a good professional. He was great from the beginning."

Rabiot could have realised his boyhood dream of emulating Gerrard's Anfield heroics last summer as he was linked with a move to Merseyside. He'd admitted his admiration for the club long before he left and became a free agent.

"I followed Liverpool as a kid because I was a fan of Steven Gerrard," he confessed to Tuttosport towards the end of 2022 (as reported by "He made me dream, so I used to follow the Reds."

Yet, Rabiot ultimately ended up joining Marseille in Ligue 1 instead. So far this season he's clocked up 25 appearances across all competitions, netting seven times and notching three assists.

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