Joleon Lescott claims Man City star was even better than Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard

Add as preferred source on Google

Joleon Lescott completed a controversial transfer to Manchester City in 2009, a decision that ultimately won the defender numerous trophies.

Indeed, Lescott forced his way out of Everton that summer and would go on to win every domestic trophy on offer during his spell at the Etihad.

Manchester City have since become a dominant force in English football and, before last season, became the first side in Premier League history to win four consecutive titles.

And it remains to be seen whether the Citizens can return to their former glory, but they did start on the right track for the 2025/26 campaign after a convincing 4-0 win against Wolves on Sunday.

Lescott played alongside Premier League legends such as Sergio Aguero, David Silva, and Vincent Kompany, who helped define Manchester City in the modern era.

However, he named another former teammate as the best player he has ever played alongside.

Joleon Lescott says Yaya Toure is the best he’s ever played with

When speaking to Adebayo Akinfenwa on the Beast Mode On podcast, Lescott named Yaya Toure as the best player he has played with, placing him above England legends Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard.

“Yaya. Best footballer, David (Silva). Like Rooney (and Gerrard), they are match winners. They will just decide the game.

“I only played with Stevie for England, and I didn’t win anything for England. Where Yaya made us win the league, the cup.”

Toure spent eight years at the Etihad, and Manchester City have not boasted a midfielder of the same mould ever since – a problem that Pep Guardiola is facing again this summer after allowing Kevin De Bruyne to join Napoli, ending his ten-year association with the club.

On the other hand, Tijjani Reijnders has helped fill the void left by De Bruyne. The Dutchman joined Aguero in the record books as the only two players in the club’s history to record a goal and an assist on their Premier League debut.

The Ivorian is considered one of the greats, but Toure dubbed Paul Scholes the greatest midfielder ever when answering the famous old Gerrard/Lampard/Scholes debate, which has been fiercely debated ever since the trio retired.

Where does Yaya Toure rank among Premier League greats?

The Ivorian midfielder was ever-present for Manchester City, and although statistics are never a surefire indication of a football player’s greatness, it is interesting to see how Toure ranks among the best.

For example, De Bruyne played 239 fewer Premier League matches than Scholes and registered 11 more goal involvements across their respective careers in the top-flight.

Meanwhile, the Belgian recorded six more assists than Frank Lampard despite making 349 fewer outings, yet most supporters would place the England pair above De Bruyne in their own tier lists.

Furthermore, Toure ranks at the bottom of the above list in terms of goal involvements, three places behind Gerrard, despite winning three Premier League titles more than the Liverpool legend.