Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez has said Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is not yet at the level Steven Gerrard achieved following the Magpies’ 4-1 defeat to the Red Devils on Saturday.

According to the Mirror’s David McDonnell, Benitez said:

“No, they’re different. Steven was a top-class player for so many years. He was very consistent and could make the difference in every game, with or without the ball.

“He was a top-class player. Pogba is a great player, but he still has to be consistent for years like Stevie was for 10 or 15 years.”

Benitez managed Gerrard at Liverpool for six years, during which time they won the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup.

The former England international played a key role in both pieces of silverware, and while his decision to remain with the Reds for almost the entirety of his career save for a late spell with L.A. Galaxy limited the number of trophies he won, he is among the Premier League’s best.

As a midfielder, Gerrard could do it all. His record of 184 goals and 105 assists for Liverpool speaks to his attacking and creative threat, but he was also a hard-working ball-winner and the team’s driving force in the centre, often leading by example and dragging the team to victory almost single-handedly at times.

It is perhaps premature for Pogba, 24, to be compared with Gerrard, and as Benitez indicated, only time will tell if the Frenchman can match the Liverpool legend’s longevity.

Pogba is an excellent player in his own right, though. He returned on Saturday after a 12-game absence and put in a commanding performance in midfield, grabbing a goal and an assist to help the Red Devils come from behind to win comfortably.