Steven Gerrard: It 'kills me' to talk about what Wayne Rooney has done for Manchester United

But Liverpool skipper says Rooney deserves his place among the greats

Wayne Rooney has been taking advice from the former England captain Steven Gerrard (Getty Images)

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has said 'it kills me' to talk about what Wayne Rooney has done for Manchester United - though he admits the England captain is fully deserving of a place among football's greats.

The former England captain, speaking to ITV ahead of the Three Lions' match against Slovenia, where Rooney should win his 100th cap, also says it would be "fully deserved" for Rooney to end holding records for most caps and most goals for England.

Now 34, Gerrard has never won a league title, and looks unlikely to do so this season, while Rooney has helped great rivals United to five titles in his 10 seasons at Old Trafford.

"I think it would be fully deserved," Gerrard said about the 29-year-old.

"For a player of his calibre and for what he’s done for Manchester United even though it kills me saying it."

"In years to come anyone who is looking back at records and looks at goals and caps, Wayne Rooney’s name will come up and I think he deserves both accolades."