Gerrard said: "I know Michael better than most people and he's had a great career for England and it's only going to get better. People forget that he's still only 23.
"They [Beckham and Owen] are the two main men and Michael showed with David missing that he's the talisman, someone who can pull things out to rescue you.
"He's always going to pop up and score vital goals when you need them most. That sets a very good player apart from a great player.
"Michael missed two or three chances but I think that he's improved in the sense that his head doesn't now go down when that happens.
"He's bouncing right back and eventually he put the ball away for us.
"Just like David, Michael is a great professional on and off the pitch. He leads by example with his performances. He's the number one goalscorer and he's always going to be for years to come."
"When David is missing, it's down not just to me but all the other midfield lads to share his workload because he really does work hard and put in great performances for England.
"That's what the midfield eventually did on Wednesday. We took the game by the scruff of the neck after going a goal down and played very well."