Liverpool legend John Aldridge stands by his call that Steven Gerrard is the best the club has seen.

Aldo wrote in the Sunday World: "Liverpool will lose an inspirational captain, a magnificent footballer and a great man when Gerrard makes his exit at the end of this season and anyone who tries to use this announcement of the end to his Anfield career to have a little snipe at him are losers in my opinion.

"Faceless idiots on social media sites have been trying to make a name for themselves by posting abuse about Gerrard in the last 48 hours, yet those who love this game can see through the partisan cloud that comes with supporting Manchester United, Everton or Chelsea to appreciate that this is a true legend of the modern game.

"There was some controversy when I suggested in a Sunday World column a few years ago that Stevie was the best player to ever pull on a Liverpool shirt, with those who insist Kenny Dalglish is more deserving of that title surprised by my comment.

"Yet I would argue that Kenny played in fantastic Liverpool sides that featured ten more world-class team-mates, while Gerrard has carried a litany of mediocre players at Liverpool down the years and his record deserves to be acclaimed."