Observers used to say Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard couldn’t play together, but the Premier League veterans collect awards together seamlessly.
Gerrard and Lampard both won the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Merit Award on Sunday. The merit award and unique trophies recognize the glittering Premier League careers of both players, who will leave Liverpool and Manchester City, respectively, this summer and begin new adventures in Major League Soccer.
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Gerrard and Lampard spoke about the honor shortly before the ceremony began.
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Gerrard, 34, and Lampard, 36, have been linked together since the late 1990s when they debuted in England’s top flight as talented young midfielders. They competed as rivals throughout the early 2000s.
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Gerrard and Lampard faced off with their clubs but they were teammates on England’s national team for over a decade.
Gerrard has up to five games remaining in his Premier League career. Lampard can play as many as four before he bows out. It makes sense for English soccer’s players union to honor them simultaneously, as their careers in the old world end and their tenures in the new world beckon.
Lampard: Gerrard leaving LFC “the right way” >>
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@PFA