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Topics: Micah Richards, Manchester City, Premier League, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, Kevin De Bruyne
Alex Brotherton
Topics: Micah Richards, Manchester City, Premier League, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, Kevin De Bruyne
Micah Richards has given his take on the Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes debate, with the former Manchester City defender describing his personal favourite as having "absolutely everything".
For years, the debate surrounding all three former England internationals has rumbled on, although people are starting to accept that there is now a fourth choice for the best ever Premier League midfielder – Kevin de Bruyne.
De Bruyne has played an instrumental role in Manchester City's rise since arriving on the scene in 2015, lifting six Premier League titles, five League Cups and a Champions League.
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Earlier this year, the Belgian was a topic of discussion on The Rest is Football podcast with Micah Richards, Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker after he announced his return to Premier League action with a superb cameo in City's 3-2 win over Newcastle.
After coming off the bench with 20 minutes left to play at St James' Park, the 33-year-old scored a wonderful equaliser before setting up Oscar Bobb's injury-time winner.
On the podcast, a discussion around the Premier League's best ever midfielder cropped up – and Micah Richards was straight out of the blocks.
Despite winning the Premier League with Manchester City in 2012 and maintaining a close affinity with the club, Richards admitted that Gerrard still shades it.
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"My number one has always been Steven Gerrard," he said. "I just think he had absolutely everything, and played in teams that weren't potentially as great as the others and he was always the key man.
"To get to two Champions League finals, winning one of them and losing one, but being a key man in getting them there. I know he didn't win the Premier League, but just his consistency, he would be my number one."
Richards added: "I think that by the time De Bruyne has finished his career, I think he might just overtake him [Gerrard]."
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Richards played with both Gerrard and Lampard for England, and faced Scholes in a number of Manchester derbies. The former defender left City in 2015, the same summer De Bruyne arrived at the Etihad Stadium.
Gerrard made 504 Premier League appearances, scoring 121 goals and setting up 100 more. De Bruyne has so far enjoyed 264 Premier League outings, in which he's scored 69 goals and provided 113 assists.