Wayne Rooney explains the DIFFERENCE between Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes

Wayne Rooney has explained the difference between Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes. Gary Neville emphatically agreed with him.

Wayne Rooney appeared on the Overlap this week where Gary Neville asked him 53 questions in a half-hour interview. It covered a wide range of topics - from favourite dressing-room character to golfing with Donald Trump.

He was also asked for the best player he ever played with - Cristiano Ronaldo being the pretty obvious answer. Rooney did, however, mention Scholes.

That led to Neville jumping in with a bonus question: where does Rooney land on the Steven Gerrard - Frank Lampard - Paul Scholes debate?

It's a debate that's been raging for 20 years. Or at least, the Gerrard/Lampard side of it has - Scholes found himself entering it not long after retirement.

So where does Rooney land? He made it clear from the off that Gerrard was the best all-around player of the three.

"They're all different," he explained. "As an all-rounder, Stevie's the best out of them.

"I think he could defend, pass the ball, run, tackle, score goals, set-pieces, so as an all-rounder, Stevie's the best from that point of view."

He then talked up both Lampard and Scholes before explained the difference between Gerrard and Scholes.

"All world-class players," said Rooney. "I think Stevie could have come to United and be a top, top player, and almost do what Scholsey could do. Where I don't think Scholsey could do what Stevie did at Liverpool."

Gary Neville was in no doubt about that, either.

"No," he said. "Not in the way in which he did it. No chance."

Steven Gerrard vs Paul Scholes

This wasn't actually a debate back when they were playing but has become one in the last decade. Of course, we don't believe there's even a question who the better player was.

It might just be a case of Scholes being regarded better in hindsight than at the time, but he never actually received a Ballon d'Or vote across his career. Gerrard, on the other hand, consistently placed in the top 10 across his prime, including a 3rd-placed finish in 2005 (behind Ronaldinho and Lampard).

But it's Rooney's last argument that sums it up. Liverpool don't win anything if you swap the two, whereas United almost certainly win more.