Gifted Gerrard can inspire England to greatness

Steven Gerrard, whose great season for Liverpool was crowned by his remarkable display in the FA Cup final against West Ham in Cardiff earlier this month, said he could produce the form which has often evaded him for England during the World Cup in Germany this summer.

The 25-year-old is confident that he is capable to display the consistency he has shown week after week for Liverpool when in the past he had struggled to attain the same heights in the national team jersey.

If England reach the late stages of the World Cup it means that Gerrard would have been playing for exactly a year after he kicked off with Liverpool on their Champions League qualification programme in early July 2005.

Gerrard has missed the last World Cup in Asia due to a groin injury and that will give him an added bite to succeed this summer.

Many feel that Gerrard's impact in Euro 2004 was hindered by the press saga that linked him with a move to Chelsea. The transfer never occurred mainly due to his loyalty to the club.

Now, he has already told the media that he is settled and happy at Anfield and that he was not going to endure another summer like the past two.

Gerrard added that he was to remain a Liverpool player until someone from the club told him that he was not wanted any longer.

One-club players are a rarity nowadays and Liverpool should be thankful to have a great Liverpudlian as their guiding light.

Another factor why he failed to shine in Portugal two years ago was, perhaps, the defensive responsibilities he took in a midfield that also contained the attacking-minded Frank Lampard.

This issue can come to the fore once more in Germany although the likely absence of Wayne Rooney could force Sven-Goran Eriksson to deploy the Liverpool captain in a more advance role.

Moreover, last week Eriksson said that he had not ruled out the possibility of using Gerrard as a striker at the World Cup.

He has been touted for a forward role not only because of Rooney's injury but also for the fact that Michael Owen has only just returned from a similar injury.

Owen has just come through unscathed from a training camp in Portugal with his England team-mates. He has been limited to just 29 minutes of Premiership action as a substitute for Newcastle against Birmingham in April.

His last appearance in a white shirt came in the thrilling 3-2 victory against Argentina in Geneva in November.

England fans have seen flashes of Gerrard's much-desired quality, one of them was the part he played in the unforgettable 5-1 hammering of Germany in a 2002 World Cup qualifier in Munich.

Gerrard has contributed with 23 goals for Liverpool this season as critics and pundits persisted with their calls for him to be given a more attacking position when he carved two memorable goals in the FA Cup final against West Ham.

Gerrard has played in several positions before and now he is being mentioned for a role up front as well. Eriksson concluded that the Liverpool ace had been useful wherever he had played.

Cup achievements

After the Champions League Cup final, Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish remarked that even if Thierry Henry (Arsenal) and Ronaldinho (Barcelona) had produced memorable performances (that they did not) in Paris, they would not surpass Gerrard as the most influential footballer in the game today.

Gerrard's scintillating performance in Cardiff established him as the only Anfield player to score in the final of the European Cup (2005, vs Milan), FA Cup (2006, vs West Ham), UEFA Cup (2001, vs Alaves) and League Cup (2003, vs Manchester United).

Dalglish added that Gerrard's ability to cajole his team-mates from the brink of defeat against Milan in 2005 and in Cardiff this month had cemented the Liverpool captain as the dominant individual at club level.

No football follower will forget Gerrard's netting in Istanbul that set the side on their way back and eventually lifting the European Cup after the penalty drama against Milan.

Many reckon that, on occasions, the European and FIFA golden boots were not awarded to the right players. There have been two England players who deserved to be crowned - David Beckham, when at Manchester United, and Gerrard.

Magical final

Indeed, the Cardiff showpiece between Liverpool and West Ham United, won by former in a penalty shoot-out 3-1 (after a 3-3 draw against West Ham) had restored the tournament to all its former glory.

In addition to the ding-dong duel that left the crowd on the edge of their seats, the fans behaved really well as the Hammers' supporters played a big part in the great atmosphere while cheering their own team and also their opponents.

Ironically, when Liverpool claimed the best number of clean sheets in the Premiership and set club record runs, their impregnable defence gifted West Ham two goals in the first 30 minutes.

Yet, talisman Gerrard came to their rescue and put his side back in the reckoning before the half-time break.

He repeated his feat in the dying moments of the match with another scorcher to send the final into extra time and finally the penalty shoot-out in which Gerrard contributed once again.

Gerrard had insisted that he would not dwell on the club's FA Cup success as he has now set his sights on steering Liverpool to win the Premier League title next season.

This will be a tall order for Liverpool, and the rest of the Premiership sides, to surpass Chelsea.

If Liverpool can add valuable players to their squad, especially on the right flank and up front, the chance will be there for the Reds to push on and take a big stride forward in the league.