The Italian had nothing but high praise for his new captain in a recent interveiw.

Well, this is certainly a way to try to get on good terms with your new colleagues.

Liverpool signing Mario Balotelli hasn't exactly hit the ground running since making the move from Milan this summer, with the 24-year-old just netting once so far for Brendan Rodgers' men.

Yet, having had the chance to play with two of the top midfielders in the world--Juventus star Andrea Pirlo and English icon Steven Gerrard--for both country and club, the enigmatic Italian feels that he's in a good position to do a little compare and contrast between the two players.

Disappointing: Balotelli has yet to find his form after leaving Italy for a second spell in England

"I had really not seen much of [Steven Gerrard] before this season, apart from for England, but [I'm very impressed]...I think of him as being at the same level as [Andrea] Pirlo," the former Milan, Inter, and Manchester City striker recently admitted in an interview.

"[He has not just] vision [and] technique, but he is powerful as well. Stevie can do anything, he's an amazing player. It’s going to be very difficult for the team to find another player like him in the future."