The Hindu : Sport / Football : Gerrard puts England ambitions on hold

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 26, 2006

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Sport - Football

Gerrard puts England ambitions on hold

LIVERPOOL: Steven Gerrard doesn't hide his ambition to be captain of England. But, he's happy to put that on hold and win the Premier League title as captain of Liverpool.

With England coach Steve McClaren expected to choose Chelsea's John Terry to replace David Beckham as captain, Gerrard won't feel snubbed if that happens.

"If Terry got the England captaincy I'd shake his hand and wish him all the best. He's a fantastic captain for Chelsea. There are other candidates out there as well and we'll have to wait and see who Steve McClaren decides to go with," Gerrard said.

"I'm really flattered to be involved in it, but I'm not going to use the media to push myself forward for the captaincy. It's McClaren's decision. I'd love to captain the country. I've experienced it before and it's a great feeling, but my priority at the moment is being Liverpool captain," he said.

Gerrard, who scored 20 goals from midfield last season, has a relatively rare combination of talent with inspirational ability. Strong in the air and a powerful tackler, he is a one-man team. He defends well, plays defence splitting passes and frequently scores with long-range shots.

Liverpool's talisman

It was Gerrard's header that started Liverpool's rally from a 3-0 deficit in the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan, when the team went on to win on penalties and claim the trophy for the fifth time. It was his 30m shot at the start of injury time that levelled last season's FA Cup final at 3-3 against West Ham. Liverpool also won that match on penalties.

A year ago, Liverpool almost lost Gerrard to Chelsea, but he decided to stay at Anfield. Without him, the team would not have finished third in the Premier League and won the cup. Now his ambition is to win the league and a sixth title in Europe's most prestigious competition.

Gerrard believes that his team can give Chelsea a fright by beating Jose Mourinho's team in the traditional season curtain raiser, the Community Shield, in Cardiff, Wales on August 12. — AP

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