Former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard praises Roma’s Francesco Totti – “he’s the king of Rome”.
Both players are revered for their loyalty to their hometown clubs, with Gerrard making 708 appearances for the Reds before moving to LA Galaxy.
Totti, meanwhile, has spent his entire career with the Giallorossi, with 300 goals in 746 appearances.
“Totti is a fantastic technician; he’s a wonderful footballer,” Gerrard told Roma’s official website.
Former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard praises Roma’s Francesco Totti – “he’s the king of Rome”.
Both players are revered for their loyalty to their hometown clubs, with Gerrard making 708 appearances for the Reds before moving to LA Galaxy.
Totti, meanwhile, has spent his entire career with the Giallorossi, with 300 goals in 746 appearances.
“Totti is a fantastic technician; he’s a wonderful footballer,” Gerrard told Roma’s official website.
“The reason I’ve got so much respect for him is because he’s got all the pressure on his shoulders in Rome. He’s the king of Rome.
“Having played for Liverpool, a big club, I understand the responsibility and the pressure he’s got to deliver for the supporters. I’ve been there and I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
“They idolise him over there and that comes with its own pressure. So to perform consistently for Roma, for such a long time and stay loyal, I’ve got an awful lot of respect for him. He’s certainly a legend over in Italy.
“I think when you get close to him, you realise how strong he is on the ball. He picks up some wonderful positions between the lines.
“I remember playing the holding role against him one time and he was always out of sight. He always picked up clever positions in the number 10 role and the ball was like Velcro to his boot.
“He was very skillful and maneuvered the ball very well. And his vision, he could see things on the pitch that other players couldn’t really see. As a player, I’ve got unbelievable respect for him. I’ve managed to meet him a couple times along the way as well and he seems like a good guy as well.
“He’s shown incredible loyalty to his club and his badge and he deserves all the plaudits and merits he gets. I can only add to that.
“It’s been a pleasure to compete against him a couple of times and I certainly would’ve loved to have played in the same team as him.
“He’s certainly the type of player that would be on the wavelength that I’d be looking for.
“He would’ve been a joy to play with. I remember we [Liverpool] signed Alberto Aquilani and I was saying to him, ‘What’s [Daniele] De Rossi like and what’s Totti like?’ and he spoke volumes about them.
“He was saying that basically those two have carried Roma for so many years. They deserve all the plaudits they get.”