Barton: Stevie's the best
Joey Barton thinks Steven Gerrard is the most gifted player of his generation to appear in the Premier League.
Both players grew up in Huyton before carving careers as dynamic midfielders - but Barton believes that neither he or anyone else can compare with Liverpool's No.8 over recent years.
"For my generation he's probably as gifted a player as there has been in the Premier League, if not Europe, if not the world," Barton told Liverpoolfc.tv during the Steven Gerrard Foundation golf event in Portugal.
"We're fortunate in this era to have a lot of good players and Stevie is at the top of that tree.
"A lot of good players have strengths in one area and weaknesses in other. Stevie has a lot of strengths and very few weaknesses.
"He's very, very difficult to play against and that's the reason he's regarded as highly as he is in world football."
Click on the image below to watch our exclusive chat with Joey
Meanwhile, Barton reckons former Newcastle teammate Andy Carroll will be desperate to make an impact when the new season begins in August after injuries stalled his Liverpool career following a January move from St James' Park.
"It's always difficult when you go to a new football club and you're not fully fit," said the Everton fan. "He had a niggling injury when they signed him. He'll be looking to get pre-season under his belt and look to kick on and show Liverpool what an asset they've acquired.
"He's a great lad and we were all gutted to see him leave Newcastle but it was a no-brainer, really. He had to go and test himself at a fantastic football club with great tradition. I stay in touch and we're all wishing him well but not when he plays against us.
"I haven't been watching Liverpool with a lot of interest but they had a great run towards the end of the season. We played them at Anfield and they were magnificent on that day.
"We thought we'd have a chance looking at side they had and the individuals but it was a great team performance - certainly a better team performance than we saw in December at St James' Park."
The Steven Gerrard Foundation works in consultation with its charitable partner, the Consortium for Street Children (CSC). For more information or to make a donation visit the SGF website.