Roy Hodgson will wait for Steven Gerrard (Captain Fantastic) to decide England future
Steven Gerrard came tantalisingly close to winning his first Premier League title with Liverpool. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA
Roy Hodgson wants Steven Gerrard to remain as England captain after the World Cup
but says the midfielder will not make a decision on his international
future until the conclusion of the team's campaign in Brazil, the coach
denying that Gerrard would bring any negative vibes to South America
following Liverpool's failure to win the Premier League title.
Gerrard will captain England in Brazil, with Frank Lampard as his deputy, after Hodgson named his 23-man squad and seven standby players for the tournament on Monday.
It was a disastrous end of season for Gerrard, who had led Liverpool to within touching distance of their first Premier League title in 24 years before making a decisive error during a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, a result that stalled his side's momentum and was followed by the dramatic 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace.
Gerrard has, though, been in good form this season and Hodgson does not believe he will be affected by Liverpool's disappointment. The England coach revealed that he had already held preliminary discussions about Gerrard's future role and backed the 33-year-old to overcome the disappointment of his domestic campaign.
"I did at one stage broach the [captaincy] subject with him and he knows I would like him to go on beyond this World Cup because he's still such a good player with Liverpool and in great form and it would be a disappointment for me if he decides: 'No, that's enough for me internationally,'" Hodgson said. "It's not the right time to talk about it, he knows what I think, but I will be choosing the right moment to bring it up.
"I know Steve's not ready for that yet. Up until now he's had his boots more than full with trying to win a title. He's had to swallow the disappointment of the last few weeks when he was close and had it taken away, and now he's got the World Cup. He's got to get over that disappointment and get his World Cup head on and I know he will.
"He's very strong mentally. He cares desperately about Liverpool, but, fortunately for me, he cares equally desperately about England. So his mindset when it comes to England will be spot‑on. That's not to say that he won't retain a bit of disappointment that Liverpool came second and not first. But I have great confidence in him that he won't take any negative thoughts into the tournament with us."
Asked about Lampard's position as vice-captain, with the Chelsea midfielder previously regarded as an outsider to make the squad, Hodgson said: "Frank's been the vice-captain all along in Steven's absences, which I think has been two, he's stepped up quite brilliantly. I've always thought that he was going to be a key member of this 23 because of his experience and what he brings to the team apart from pure footballing ability. He brings a lot of other things to us in terms of his leadership qualities and characteristics."
England fly out for a pre-World Cup training camp in Portugal on Monday before a friendly against Peru at Wembley on 30 May. They will then depart for Miami and further friendlies against Ecuador and Honduras before their opening World Cup match with Italy in Manaus on 14 June.
The defenders Jon Flanagan and John Stones, of Liverpool and Everton respectively, will travel with the 23-man squad to Miami and could stay with the team for longer. Stones could be promoted from stand-by if Phil Jones does not recover from a shoulder problem, but that is Hodgson's only injury concern.
On England's final preparations, Hodgson said: "[It's] an exciting time, lots of things have to be done. In Portugal we'll do quite a lot in the meetings, to save their legs a little bit, because we don't want people to come back tired already. My initial thoughts were [it would be] like a glorified training and rest period. Then we decide to move away from that and forget the actual rest part where maybe families come along.
"Let's see if we can use this recovery time in terms of the fitness and to put some thoughts into their head. I don't think in Portugal it will be an awful lot of what I would consider serious tactical work on the training field. That will begin at St George's Park and continue all the way on from there.
"We're thinking very individual, we're thinking meetings and all the things we've got to do to be ready when we set off from Miami."
Gerrard will captain England in Brazil, with Frank Lampard as his deputy, after Hodgson named his 23-man squad and seven standby players for the tournament on Monday.
It was a disastrous end of season for Gerrard, who had led Liverpool to within touching distance of their first Premier League title in 24 years before making a decisive error during a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, a result that stalled his side's momentum and was followed by the dramatic 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace.
Gerrard has, though, been in good form this season and Hodgson does not believe he will be affected by Liverpool's disappointment. The England coach revealed that he had already held preliminary discussions about Gerrard's future role and backed the 33-year-old to overcome the disappointment of his domestic campaign.
"I did at one stage broach the [captaincy] subject with him and he knows I would like him to go on beyond this World Cup because he's still such a good player with Liverpool and in great form and it would be a disappointment for me if he decides: 'No, that's enough for me internationally,'" Hodgson said. "It's not the right time to talk about it, he knows what I think, but I will be choosing the right moment to bring it up.
"I know Steve's not ready for that yet. Up until now he's had his boots more than full with trying to win a title. He's had to swallow the disappointment of the last few weeks when he was close and had it taken away, and now he's got the World Cup. He's got to get over that disappointment and get his World Cup head on and I know he will.
"He's very strong mentally. He cares desperately about Liverpool, but, fortunately for me, he cares equally desperately about England. So his mindset when it comes to England will be spot‑on. That's not to say that he won't retain a bit of disappointment that Liverpool came second and not first. But I have great confidence in him that he won't take any negative thoughts into the tournament with us."
Asked about Lampard's position as vice-captain, with the Chelsea midfielder previously regarded as an outsider to make the squad, Hodgson said: "Frank's been the vice-captain all along in Steven's absences, which I think has been two, he's stepped up quite brilliantly. I've always thought that he was going to be a key member of this 23 because of his experience and what he brings to the team apart from pure footballing ability. He brings a lot of other things to us in terms of his leadership qualities and characteristics."
England fly out for a pre-World Cup training camp in Portugal on Monday before a friendly against Peru at Wembley on 30 May. They will then depart for Miami and further friendlies against Ecuador and Honduras before their opening World Cup match with Italy in Manaus on 14 June.
The defenders Jon Flanagan and John Stones, of Liverpool and Everton respectively, will travel with the 23-man squad to Miami and could stay with the team for longer. Stones could be promoted from stand-by if Phil Jones does not recover from a shoulder problem, but that is Hodgson's only injury concern.
On England's final preparations, Hodgson said: "[It's] an exciting time, lots of things have to be done. In Portugal we'll do quite a lot in the meetings, to save their legs a little bit, because we don't want people to come back tired already. My initial thoughts were [it would be] like a glorified training and rest period. Then we decide to move away from that and forget the actual rest part where maybe families come along.
"Let's see if we can use this recovery time in terms of the fitness and to put some thoughts into their head. I don't think in Portugal it will be an awful lot of what I would consider serious tactical work on the training field. That will begin at St George's Park and continue all the way on from there.
"We're thinking very individual, we're thinking meetings and all the things we've got to do to be ready when we set off from Miami."
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