'He was just unbelievable' - former Liverpool star left amazed by Steven Gerrard

Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock has described how Steven Gerrard went up another level during England training camps compared to his performances at Anfield

Steven Gerrard upped his game when playing for England(Image: Getty Images)

Stephen Warnock has suggested that Steven Gerrard elevated his game when playing for England, in contrast to his training sessions at Liverpool.

The former Reds defender, who shared the pitch with the club icon, felt that Gerrard truly shone when representing his country. Like Gerrard, Warnock polished his skills in Liverpool's academy and ascended to the senior team during the 2000s. His England debut came after his exit from Anfield, but he maintained a strong bond with former teammates like Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.

It was during his initial training stints with the Three Lions that Warnock truly grasped Gerrard's prowess. The 44-year-old revealed just how extraordinary the iconic playmaker was during an episode of In The Mixer, presented by Sky Bet.

Reflecting on Gerrard's abilities, Warnock stated: "He was two years older than me. So I got to see firsthand his quality, and it was always interesting because I played up a couple of times in his age group.

"I remember just thinking, 'Wow, this is the level, this is stupid.' Do you remember a lad called Kenny Lunt who played at Crewe? So Kenny was like the top, top player in his age group, and everyone was talking about Kenny.

"They had some great players. But I remember there was a game, and I didn't play in it, but I was watching it, and it was Crewe versus Liverpool.

Stephen Warnock played with Gerrard at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

"They had some great players. But I remember there was a game, and I didn't play in it, but I was watching it and it was Crewe versus Liverpool.

"Everyone was like, it's Stevie versus Kenny Lunt, and it was like, 'What's going to happen here?' Stevie just ran over the top of him. He was just unbelievable in the game. And it was like he just had levels to go up."

Reflecting on when he truly grasped Gerrard's exceptional ability for both club and country, Warnock continued: "I remember my first call up for England was I got in a car with Carra, [he] said, 'Jump in with me and Stevie, we'll help you settle in and whatever.'

"So I got in a car with Carra and he went, 'Watch Stevie here.' I was like, 'What?' And he went, 'He goes up another like 10 percent'. I was like, 'You can't go up 10 percent.'

"And then he got to England, and it was like he was competing against [Frank] Lampard, like whoever it was in this position, and it was like, 'I'll show you 100 percent.' It was phenomenal to watch."

Warnock's observations highlight just how committed Gerrard was to his craft in midfield for both Liverpool and England.

He's often regarded as the greatest Premier League footballer never to have secured the league championship, and international honors with England also eluded him.

Nevertheless, he did hoist the Champions League trophy for Liverpool, alongside other honors. Warnock was also part of the Istanbul miracle squad, and his formative years at Anfield brought him FA Cup, League Cup, and European Super Cup triumphs.