Steven Gerrard did not hesitate to enter the debate about who has been the best youth player he has seen. For the Liverpool legend, the answer is clear: Michael Owen.

Speaking to ESPN, Gerrard acknowledged that both Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe are extraordinary footballers, but neither have surpassed the impact Owen had in his early years.

"Well, the other two are going for the Ballon d'Or and one has already got it. So I think you have to respect that Michael Owen has been voted the best player in the world," he said during the launch of the new 2025-26 Topps Premier League trading card collection.

"I played with him. He was an incredible teenager. "So I would say Michael Owen was the best. But what I would say is: Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, wow! They are two incredible players," added the former England international.

Records and achievements that make for a difficult comparison

Michael Owen made his Liverpool debut at 17 in 1996 and quickly made his mark. Between the ages of 17 and 19, he scored 40 goals in 79 Premier League appearances, a tally that is still a record for a teenager. Furthermore, in 1998 he scored 25 league goals, the highest tally in a single calendar year for a player under the age of 20.

His impact didn't end with numbers. In the 2000-01 season, he led Liverpool to the League Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Cup. And in 2001, at just 22 years old, Owen received the Ballon d'Or, becoming the first Englishman to win it since Kevin Keegan in 1979.

Meanwhile, Lamine Yamal, current 18-year-old Barcelona star, has shone with 14 goals and 22 assists since his debut in 2023, when he was just 15 years old. If he wins the Ballon d'Or this year, he would be the youngest in history to do so.

Mb appe, now 26 years old, He also made his mark as a teenager, playing a key role in France's 2018 World Cup title. Aged 19, he scored in the final against Croatia, becoming the youngest goal scorer in that match since Pele.