Gerrard determined to seize World Cup last chance

June 2, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Steven Gerrard believes next year’s World Cup finals will represent his last chance to get his hands on the biggest prize in football.

England are well-placed to reach South Africa after winning their first five qualifiers to open up a five-point lead over nearest rivals, Croatia.

Further wins, in Kazakhstan on Saturday and against Andorra at Wembley on June 10, would put Fabio Capello’s men on the brink of clinching top spot in their group and Gerrard is determined not to miss out on a tournament that will be played just after his 30th birthday.

“For me, it will be the last chance of doing well at a World Cup,” the Liverpool captain admitted during a break from England’s preparations for the long trip to Kazakhstan.

“Maybe by the time of the next one (2014) I might not be in my prime. That is a big motivation for me.

“We’ve now got these two important qualifiers coming up and if we want to play in the finals, we’ve got to get two good results.

“When we met up with the manager he said basically he wants the two wins to put us in the driving seat in the group. If we win these two games, we may possibly only need three more points.

“Of course, we know it will be warm in Kazakhstan and any international away from home is very difficult but there will be no excuses on our part.

“We should win these two games comfortably and put ourselves on the brink of going through.”

Capello has denied Gerrard the central role he plays for Liverpool but the midfielder insists he is happy to fit in on the left of midfield with a license to get forward and swap positions with Wayne Rooney, usually deployed behind a central striker.

“The manager has put me there but with strict orders to interchange with Wayne,” Gerrard said. “He wants me to pick up dangerous positions in a central area and not just on the left. I think he understands I’m not a left-winger.

“He sees the relationship with Wayne improving. We get on very well on and off the pitch and I think that partnership can certainly improve going forward.”

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