The Liverpool midfielder admitted to being a little more nervous than usual ahead of the Stockholm friendly and hopes he has plenty more caps ahead of him, although the possibility of breaking David Beckham's outfield record (115) is not a big driving force.
Gerrard will become only the sixth England player to reach a century of caps, joining record-holder Peter Shilton (125), Beckham, Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton and Billy Wright.
"I'm excited," Gerrard said at England's Tuesday press conference. "I'm slightly nervous, which I haven't been for quite a while in an England shirt, maybe because there is a bit more attention on me getting to the milestone.
"It's very exciting and I can't wait for the game to start.
"I try to be the driving force, try and make things happen on the pitch, get assists, get goals and try to lead by example for the rest of the team to follow.
"My England journey has been full of ups and downs, probably the same as a lot of other England players, but I feel like there's a few more chapters to write as well.
"I don't feel as if I am coming to the end. I'm really happy where I am at the moment and really happy with my form in an England shirt. I'm certainly looking forward to helping this team qualify for the World Cup.
"David's a hero of mine and he was certainly someone who I looked up to. I enjoyed a lot of my England caps playing alongside him and it's not really very important to me whether I beat David's record or not. My main focus is to get this team to qualify for the next big tournament."
Post Comment
