JC: Why Stevie is above Kenny

But one man who isn't in any doubt is Jamie Carragher. For him, Stevie G is the greatest player in Anfield history. End of.

And Carra doesn't stop there.

In an interview with Liverpoolfc.com ahead of Gerrard's 600th appearance on Sunday, the defender makes some lofty statements about his friend's place in English football and talks about the man behind the legend...

Steven is about to play his 600th game for Liverpool. How proud are you to have shared that journey with him?

It's been great for me to play alongside him, not just because of the amount of games he's played, but the quality of those games as well. There are lots of players who play a lot of games, and you need quality to play so many, but we're talking about an iconic figure for the club - one of, if not the best player ever to play for the club.

Which is it, in your opinion - one of the best, or the greatest ever for Liverpool?

I would probably say yes, he is, because this is more my time. I can't remember Kenny, or people also talk about Billy Liddell. I've seen a little bit of Kenny on DVD and videos. Souness, Barnes, Ian Rush - there are all these great players. Obviously Kenny has won a lot more than Steven, but I just think about his performances in those two cup finals. For me, that just takes it to another level. He hasn't been fortunate enough to play in what you'd call one of the absolutely great Liverpool sides that we've had in the past, and that just adds to what he's done. So for me, yes, I'll go with Stevie.

How would you describe Steven Gerrard to someone who had never seen him play?

An all-action player, a player who has defining moments in a game, in every game and not just the ones we all remember. Stevie is a player who, every 10 or 15 minutes, produces something - it might be a tackle, it might be a great cross, it might be a shot, a great header. He's not a Xabi Alonso, who is involved in the game every 20 or 30 seconds. He's someone who does something dynamic every four or five minutes.

You mention all the things he can do. Have you ever seen a more complete player?

No, I don't think there has been, certainly not at this club. It's a great help to him as a player, but it's also at times been a hindrance in terms of having to play different positions, not just for Liverpool but also his country. He's such a good player that if he wanted to play right-back, he could have played for England for 10 years there. If he wanted to play right midfield, he could have played there for England. Central midfield, No.10, he's even played on the left for England under Capello. He had one game at No.9 for England - centre-forward. I played alongside him in that game and we still laugh about that now. The only place I haven't seen him play is centre-back, thank God, because I may have been sitting on the bench a bit more. I'm sure he could do that without a problem as well.

Can you imagine the last 14 years without him at Liverpool - the trophy room might be a bit barer?

Of course, it would have been, because of his impact, not just in cup finals but in the big games to get you there. Football is a team game, we all play our part, but every team has their stand-out or iconic player and he's been it for us. He's always produced on the big stage.

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Going back to the start, can you remember the first time you thought, 'We've got a real player on our hands here'?

Maybe that goal he scored against Sheffield Wednesday (Gerrard's first for the club). That comes to mind. No, sorry, it was the Celta Vigo game (his first start at Anfield). He was man of the match in that game, he was the best player on the pitch playing central midfield. For a young player to come in and be the best player on the pitch when you've got seasoned internationals playing, you realise you might have something special.

Since he came through everyone has been waiting for the club to produce the next Steven Gerrard - has that made it more difficult for youngsters coming through, in your opinion? They're big boots to fill...

Yes and no. You are never going to get another Steven Gerrard. There might be another Steven Gerrard come around in 40 or 50 years' time. And that might be in another part of the country. He might not be a local lad. So I don't think it should be a hindrance to the players coming through, I don't think anyone is expecting anyone to be the new Steven Gerrard.

A lot of players have talent - what has Steven got, what is it about his personality, that has helped him go to that extra level?

He always wants to improve. He was in the England team at 20, 21, but he's still been getting better all the time. A lot of players can stand still, but he's kept moving forwards. Now he's captain of his country, he's won all the player of the year awards, he's won everything he can at Liverpool except for the league title, which is through no fault of his own. There is nothing he hasn't done and that comes from professionalism as well, not just his ability. He's looked after himself. He's had a fair few injuries but he's come back from them to prove people wrong and himself right that he's still a top player.

He probably has a different style of captaincy to the John Terrys, the Terry Butchers - would you go along with that and how would you describe him as a captain?

He's a great captain. I always judge a captain by how many times they've lifted trophies and he's lifted quite a few. It's about how successful you are and he's been very successful. He leads by example. He'll always have respect. People look up to him, and maybe there's a bit of awe at times, because he's such a good player. He doesn't need to say too much - he's got that automatic respect because of the quality.

I suppose it's difficult to look past Istanbul or the 2006 Cup final for a favourite Steven Gerrard moment - which would you choose or is there another moment in his career that stands out for you?

Istanbul is obviously a bigger trophy to win but to socre that goal in the last minute of the game against West Ham. Istanbul was a special night for a lot of people but the FA Cup final was Steven Gerrard's game, his final. A lot of us didn't perform as we'd have liked on that day and without him we wouldn't have won, that's for sure.

Away from Melwood, when there's no football going on, what's he like?

I think we're pretty similar: pretty down to earth lads who realise what we've achieved and realise we've been fortunate. We've done well for ourselves but I don't think we forget where we come from. Two working-class families. He's exactly the same as he always was, very level-headed. You become more famous, become a better player, earn more money, have a better house and car, but it's important you don't change, that you still have the same people as friends. I remember him as a YTS and he still knocks around with the same lads, which is a good sign. He's just a normal Liverpool lad who's become a superstar.

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You will know yourself that once you get into your 30s people start writing you off - how many years of top football do you think Steven has left in him?

His contract is this year and one more, I think. He'll assess it then, but if you look at the Swansea game, he's still getting brought off the bench to rescue it for us. That's been the way for 13 or 14 years now. When that changes, maybe he'll look at it, but he's still expected to produce the Superman act at 32, so I think we're still a while away from that changing.

You're currently 111 games ahead of him. Do you think he'll catch you?

It depends when we both finish playing, but I expect so. When Stevie gets to my position - and I don't know if he'll want to be in the position I've been in for the last six to 12 months because I've been on the bench a lot - he will still always come on. As a centre-back you don't come off the bench unless there are strange circumstances. I would image he'll play more games, and listen, he's been a better player than me for Liverpool so he thoroughly deserves that.

How do you think he'll be remembered in 20 years' time among his generation of English footballers?

He'll be remembered even more than he is now. As a local player I think you're appreciated more when you're gone. Maybe I'm talking about myself a little bit as well! Especially Stevie, though. At the start of the season, when things weren't going well, you hear one or two comments. But think about when he's done, the stories people will tell about him, the games they went to. It'll be passed from fathers to sons about seeing Steven Gerrard play and what he produced. We hear stories now about Kenny and people will be telling Steven Gerrard stories for the next 40 or 50 years.

Best English player of his generation?

Yep, I'd say so. I think there's only Bobby Charlton, because he won the World Cup and the European Cup. And had impact in those games. Some players have been in an England team that's done more and the country remembers it. With Stevie and England they haven't had that semi-final, that Euro 96 that got the country going. But in terms of overall career, Scholes, Rooney, Bryan Robson, Gazza, they haven't done what he did in a Champions League and FA Cup final. Rooney may go on to do that, but in terms of what he's done, I'd say only Bobby Charlton as an Englishman who's done more than him.