Steven Gerrard forces Liverpool top dog into a change of heart about his level and it's not a sympathy vote

Upfront Arne Slot admits he's changed his tune on Steven Gerrard as the straight-talking Liverpool boss put a pen through his best ever Champions League XI.

The Dutchman – not known for wasted words – concedes his move to Merseyside has led him to switching up his all-time team based on their exploits in the world's biggest club tournament. And Gerrard – once the bookies' favourite to succeed Jurgen Klopp – is now in Slot's team as the former Feyenoord boss factored in the level of team-mate the Kop icon played with compared to Andres Iniesta.

Speaking to Amazon Prime, the 46-year-old said: “If you had asked me this a year ago, I would have probably said Iniesta, but I think now I am going to go for Steven Gerrard, being the Liverpool manager. He might deserve to be in my team because the other ones, like Iniesta and like Zinedine Zidane, they played with incredible teammates, and, of course, Steven Gerrard played with good to really good teammates.

“But I don’t think he played with the same level of players that Iniesta or Zidane played with. And then still being so special for the club, winning, lifting the trophy once, playing for so long for this club.”

Slot has been a smash-hit at Anfield and has only lost one game so far since replacing Anfield hero Klopp. Former Rangers boss Gerrard is trying to impress in his second season as boss of Saudi side Al-Ettifaq.