Steven Gerrard has named Zinedine Zidane as his all-time favourite footballer - claiming he could learn much from the French 'genius'.
The Real Madrid and Juventus legend last year hailed our skipper as the world's best player, and in an interview with FIFA.com Gerrard revealed the feeling was mutual.
"My favourite player of all time is Zinedine Zidane," said the Scouser. "Just to see him play - the way he moves, the way he controls the ball, the way he passes - is an absolute privilege and there's so much you can learn from that guy, he's a genius with the ball.
"From an England point of view, there is Gazza. I like watching gifted players who are skilful, and Gazza is probably one of the most skilful English players there's even been, so I would pick those two."
Meanwhile, Gerrard is ready to take a crucial penalty if required at this summer's World Cup despite missing in the shoot-out with Portugal in 2006.
He said: "I think, having missed the penalty, I'll probably be a bit more composed next time and take my time a bit more.
"I'll work that little bit harder in training to make sure I know what I'm going to be doing. It all happened really fast in 2006 and I felt after the penalties that I should have taken my time more.
"It is massive pressure, but that's what we've got to do, we've got to try and handle that pressure. I didn't handle it in 2006, so if I'm put in that situation again I will try and deal with the pressure a lot better.
"But it's difficult, it's not like taking a normal penalty in practice - you've got so much responsibility. You know all the fans back home are watching and when you're tired, when you're under so much pressure, that's when mistakes happen and that's what happened to me in 2006."
Gerrard believes England will head to South Africa mentally prepared for victory thanks to Italian boss Fabio Capello.
"He'll bring many qualities to the team," said our No.8. "He's a winner; he's got an unbelievable amount of experience and has enjoyed a remarkable amount of success. He's transmitting a winning mentality to the team, so fingers crossed that will stand us in good stead for the tournament."
Despite the team's newfound resilience, Gerrard knows it will be difficult for England to live up to the often bloated expectations back home.
For the 29-year-old, blocking out the media hype will be crucial to his dream of lifting the World Cup.
He explained: "As players, we have to deal with the expectations and the pressure of playing for England. The supporters and media are very passionate about the country and a lot is expected of us. It's important that we, as players, cope with that in the best way we can."
The Real Madrid and Juventus legend last year hailed our skipper as the world's best player, and in an interview with FIFA.com Gerrard revealed the feeling was mutual.
"My favourite player of all time is Zinedine Zidane," said the Scouser. "Just to see him play - the way he moves, the way he controls the ball, the way he passes - is an absolute privilege and there's so much you can learn from that guy, he's a genius with the ball.
"From an England point of view, there is Gazza. I like watching gifted players who are skilful, and Gazza is probably one of the most skilful English players there's even been, so I would pick those two."
Meanwhile, Gerrard is ready to take a crucial penalty if required at this summer's World Cup despite missing in the shoot-out with Portugal in 2006.
He said: "I think, having missed the penalty, I'll probably be a bit more composed next time and take my time a bit more.
"I'll work that little bit harder in training to make sure I know what I'm going to be doing. It all happened really fast in 2006 and I felt after the penalties that I should have taken my time more.
"It is massive pressure, but that's what we've got to do, we've got to try and handle that pressure. I didn't handle it in 2006, so if I'm put in that situation again I will try and deal with the pressure a lot better.
"But it's difficult, it's not like taking a normal penalty in practice - you've got so much responsibility. You know all the fans back home are watching and when you're tired, when you're under so much pressure, that's when mistakes happen and that's what happened to me in 2006."
Gerrard believes England will head to South Africa mentally prepared for victory thanks to Italian boss Fabio Capello.
"He'll bring many qualities to the team," said our No.8. "He's a winner; he's got an unbelievable amount of experience and has enjoyed a remarkable amount of success. He's transmitting a winning mentality to the team, so fingers crossed that will stand us in good stead for the tournament."
Despite the team's newfound resilience, Gerrard knows it will be difficult for England to live up to the often bloated expectations back home.
For the 29-year-old, blocking out the media hype will be crucial to his dream of lifting the World Cup.
He explained: "As players, we have to deal with the expectations and the pressure of playing for England. The supporters and media are very passionate about the country and a lot is expected of us. It's important that we, as players, cope with that in the best way we can."
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