Steven Gerrard is eyeing Euro 2012 as a now-or-never opportunity to win silverware at international level, after admitting this summer's tournament could be his last for England.
Gerrard, 31, is entering the twilight years of an outstanding Liverpool career that has yielded success in the Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup and Carling Cup. The midfielder, so often labelled the talisman of the Reds, has even been spoken of as the club's greatest player.
However, having struggled with injuries early in his career, Gerrard is now experiencing some unwanted symmetry towards the end of his playing days. A severe groin problem kept the Liverpool skipper out for the first few months of the season, and now it appears an ankle infection will further hinder his availability.
Certainly Gerrard will not feature for England in the two forthcoming friendlies against Spain and Sweden, but he will hope to be fit in time to make an impact at Euro 2012.
England players have been accused of not caring after under-par performances at major tournaments in the past, but Gerrard insists he will be doing everything to ensure he leaves the international scene with no regrets.
"If you put things into perspective, we've only been successful at one tournament ever and that makes you realize just how difficult it is to be successful at this level," Gerrard told the Daily Mirror.
"I'm 31, I'll be 32 by the time Euro 2012 comes around, so, whatever happens, I'll be treating it as my last one.
"But it would be nice, if this is to be my last tournament, to get to a semi-final or a final rather than come away disappointed like we have been previously."
No comments:
Post a Comment