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Wayne Rooney didn’t hesitate in suggesting Tottenham once had a player who was better than Andres Iniesta

Srinivas Sadhanand

Wed 16 April 2025 14:45, UK

Andres Iniesta’s status as one of the greatest midfielders to have ever played the game is unquestionable.

The retired maestro entertained the masses for years but most importantly, he was the crucial cog in both Barcelona and Spain’s respective midfield departments.

Andres Iniesta virtually had everything in his locker — quick feet, an immaculate first touch, an eye for a pass, a knack for scoring important goals — leaving a legacy within the game that will eternally be celebrated.

Paul Gascoigne is similarly heralded by current and former players as he was a joy to watch as well.

Wayne Rooney was asked the difficult question of which player was superior out Gascoigne and Iniesta.

Wayne Rooney says Paul Gascoigne was better than Andres Iniesta

Wayne Rooney named Gascoigne as England’s greatest-ever player but he must be fully aware of how outstanding a player Andres Iniesta was, having played against him on numerous instances.

With Rooney being a maverick on the pitch like Gascoigne was for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, he may have also seen more of his game in his countryman than Iniesta — who was a much different player to the Manchester United legend.

As a result, Wayne Rooney instantly named Paul Gascoigne as the better player when asked to pick between the former Lazio technician and Andres Iniesta by Amazon Prime Video Sport.

The England international continues to be revered, with Sol Campbell naming Gascoigne as the greatest-ever midfielder across the history of the game.

Comparing Paul Gascoigne and Andres Iniesta’s stats

It would have been a sight to see to witness Paul Gascoigne and Andres Iniesta go toe-to-toe with each other.

But unfortunately, Gascoigne departed Europe in 2002 — the same year when Iniesta made his first-team debut for Barcelona.

As Wayne Rooney believes Paul Gascoigne was better than Andres Iniesta, here is how their respective stats compare to each other.

Based on the numbers, Iniesta clearly had the better career than Gascoigne.

The Spanish legend played double the games (885), provided more goals and assists (93 and 161 respectively) while winning 34 trophies while the latter won just six.

However, football is game of opinions and as Gary Lineker claimed, Gascoigne was a “wonderful” player and his career cannot simply be defined by statistics.