England captain Steven Gerrard says he wants one last chance at glory with the national team at next summer’s World Cup finals in Brazil.
SOURCE: The Daily Mirror
Three Lions skipper Steven Gerrard has given a revealing exclusive interview ahead of England’s two crucial World Cup qualifiers in San Marino on Friday and then Montenegro on Tuesday, detailing his desperation not to miss out on next summer’s tournament in South America.
Roy Hodgson’s men still have much work to do if they want to seal their place among the 32 competing teams at Brazil 2014, as they currently sit only in second place in World Cup qualifying Group H, as the halfway stage in qualification approaches.
At present, England’s destiny is still very much in their own hands, trailing as they do group leaders Montenegro by just two points, with both home and away fixtures still to be played against the tiny Balkan nation. However, there is still the lurking threat of third in the table Poland to contend with, who at present sit just three points behind England, but having played a game less than the top two in the group.
And so Gerrard and co. know that there is no room for slip ups, as defeat in Montenegro on Tuesday would take their World Cup destiny out of their own hands, something the 32-year-old midfield player cannot bare to think about.
The Liverpool captain has endured nothing but heartbreak while on international duty for the Three Lions, starting all the way back to his first-ever international tournament at Euro 2000 in the Netherlands and Belgium.
And what’s more, World Cups have been even crueller on the midfield player, who missed his first one in Japan and South Korea in 2002 with a groin injury, while 2006 saw England exit the competition on penalties to Portugal and then three years ago Gerrard captained his country to an ignominious exit as they were soundly thrashed 4-1 by arch-rivals Germany in South Africa.
So, all in all, one big catalogue of collective failure for Gerrard with England and that is why he is so keen to make amends in Brazil next summer.
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