Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard would relish the opportunity to lead England at the 2012 European Championships.
The midfielder declared that captaining the national team would be a matter of great pride for him.
“If I’m offered the captaincy, I’ll take it and be delighted and be very proud to take it,” said Gerrard. “But it’s not my decision. It’s down to who manager Stuart Pearce wants to lead the team out, and then whoever gets the job full-time. But I want to be England captain.”
Gerrard also believed that Fabio Capello’s resignation could give England the necessary lift ‘for a successful summer’. Capello resigned after disagreeing with the Football Association’s decision to strip John Terry of the captaincy pending his trial on racial abuse charges.
After Capello’s resignation, Pearce was put in charge for England’s friendly with the Netherlands next Wednesday. Reflecting on Capello’s resignation, Gerrard admitted he was taken by surprise at the Italian’s departure.
“I thought he’d stay until the end of the summer and then move on. So it was a surprise. But it might be the lift we need to have a successful summer.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 26th, 2012.
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