Sunderland winger Adam Johnson believes that Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is making the move to end his career in the Premier League too soon.
Gerrard announced that he would be leaving the Reds at the end of the season to join MLS side the Los Angeles Galaxy, ending his 17-year tenure at Anfield.
The Black Cats winger has hailed the 34-year-old as one of the finest midfield players ever produced by England, and is adamant that he and his teammates will have to be at their best to stop him when Sunderland face Liverpool at the Stadium of Light.
Johnson told the club's official website: "There is nothing I can say about him that hasn't already been said – Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes have been the best English midfielders for the last however many years and I can't speak highly enough of him as a player and as a person.
"He has been a credit to football in terms of how he has gone about his business on and off the field, and he is also England captain so like I said I can't speak highly enough.
"He can still hurt you no matter how old he is and I think he is probably leaving the Premier League a little too early, as he showed on Monday and throughout the season because he is still the club's top goalscorer. I think that says it all and we have to be aware of him because he can still really, really hurt teams."
Gus Poyet's men play Liverpool later today.
Simon Sinclair
