Steven Gerrard is a revered figure at Liverpool, and respect for him extends well beyond just the Anfield faithful.So much so in fact, that former Reds winger Jermaine Pennant has revealed he feared the club legend more than his own manager, Rafael Benitez, during his spell on Merseyside.Benitez and Gerrard won two pieces of silverware together – including the 2005 Champions LeagueGettyPennant made the move to Anfield in 2006, with Benitez in charge for all three years of his career there, while Gerrard was captain.And it isn’t hard to see why the latter instantly earned his respect.Gerrard was undoubtedly the star man, having inspired the Reds to a stunning Champions League triumph just a year earlier.Liverpool pulled off one of the greatest comebacks of all time in 2005, when they famously recovered from 3-0 down at half time to beat AC Milan on penalties in the final in Istanbul.While Gerrard was the driving force behind this on the pitch, it was Benitez who was at the helm for the Reds’ fifth European crown.The two almost tasted glory again in the competition in 2007, when the Reds lost 2-1 to Milan in a repeat of the 2005 final, with Pennant being named man of the match. What did Jermaine Pennant say about Steven Gerrard?Pennant has revealed there was only man he feared during his time at Liverpool – and surprisingly it wasn’t his manager.Speaking on talkSPORT’s Inside Liverpool, the 42-year-old said of Gerrard: “I was more nervous and scared of him than I was Rafa.“Whatever Rafa said, it just kind of went in one ear and out the other – at times.“There were times where [I thought]: ‘Okay, I see what you’re saying’, there were times where I kind of disagreed.Pennant made 81 appearances for Liverpool, all of which were under BenitezGettyBut he looked to Reds icon Gerrard for inspirationGetty“But any time Stevie said something on the pitch, it was like: ‘Okay'”.Realising he may have revealed a little too much about himself, Pennant quickly added with a smile: “Rafa, I was joking!“I always listened to you, mate!”Benitez managed the Reds for six years between 2004 and 2010, winning four trophies during this period.As well as the Champions League, the Spaniard guided the Reds to the UEFA Super Cup months later, as well as FA Cup glory in 2006. Liverpool also won the Community Shield at the start of the 2006/07 season.But Gerrard’s achievements make for a slightly longer list, which have seen him go down as one the greatest midfielders of all time.Pennant couldn’t help but laugh as he admitted he didn’t always pay attention to his managerAfter graduating from their academy, the local hero won eight major trophies during his 17-year career with the Reds – two FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Cup and Champions League.He netted 186 times in 710 appearances, including a crucial header in the 2005 Champions League final, but the Premier League title famously eluded him.‘He had that much power’This isn’t the first time Pennant has shared his admiration for Gerrard, or that he held him in slightly higher regard than his manager.Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast in 2023, he said: “Steven Gerrard – he was a leader, and when things were going wrong he would put that team on his back, he would rally the troops. “In the dressing room, before the game, after the game, even in training, I used to hate being on his team. “I was more scared of Steven Gerrard than the gaffer. I would look at him as the manager, he had that much power.Pennant and Gerrard played together 66 times in a Liverpool shirtGettyThe talkSPORT host added: “He would sometimes give the team talks.“Rafa would give out little instructions, but then Steven would step up for the big games, and when he talks, he gets the whole attention of every player in the room.“On that pitch you would see him box-to-box, challenging those 50/50s, and the fans would get up. “The players would see that and start following suit.“The goals that he scored, that Champions League final in Istanbul, that last-minute goal against Olympiakos for them to qualify [for the Champions League knockout stage, in 2004], he has done so much for that club.”