(Telegraph) Steven Gerrard is hoping that a series of special back injections last week will help extend his career for at least another two seasons after crediting the procedure for his improved fitness and consistency. The injections help to support and tighten the ligaments in Gerrard’s hip and are part of an individual programme that ensured the Liverpool captain missed only two Premier League games last season after also playing every England match at Euro 2012. “I have them [the injections] every couple of years,” said Gerrard. “My game-return since I had the first ones a couple of years ago surprised myself really. My game has been really good so Im hoping I can get the same game-return from this set that Ive had. “I wouldn’t have them if I didn’t feel any benefit from them. The reason I went in for these recently is because I’ve felt so good physically over the last couple of years.” Gerrard, 33, now expects to be similarly robust for Liverpool this season and at next summer’s World Cup when he could be asked to play as many as seven matches in 28 days. “I think I proved in the last tournament I was fit and available for all the games in a short space of time so I’m assuming it will be the same in Brazil,” he said. “I’ve been carrying a niggle for the past two or three games around the hip area so I’ve had some treatment in my back area as I have done for many years to stay on top of it. It’s certainly a lot better than it was a week or 10 days ago.” Gerrard will equal Bobby Moore’s tally of 108 England caps against Germany on Tuesday night and, although he has repeatedly expressed doubt over whether he could play internationally beyond next summer, he has never felt physically better in his career. Brendan Rodgers, Gerrard’s club manager, has said that the England captain “probably” looks at this as his last international season. Gerrard is also bullish about England’s overall improvement since they were so comprehensively beaten 4-1 by Germany at the 2010 World Cup in Bloemfontein. “I’d say we are better,” said Gerrard. “I feel that if we were to meet Germany tomorrow in a World Cup situation I don’t think we’d leave the pitch having been beaten 4-1. I do feel we are a lot stronger. There is a good mix of youth and experience in the squad at the moment. “We are all moving forward and improving all the time. I look back to the Chile result and I come away from that game feeling different from a lot of people having read what I read. I’m really confident that if we were to meet Chile further on into a World Cup competition we would have the players at full strength to go and beat them.” In head-to-heads since 1966, Germany lead England 13-5 and have also only been outperformed by them in one out of the 22 major international tournaments since the 1968 European Championship. Gerrard, though, believes that England should not be regarded as major underdogs on Tuesday night against a team rated number two in the world. “If you look at how they’ve performed in recent tournaments and where they’re ranked, then maybe we are slight underdogs,” said Gerrard. “But if you look at both squads and both starting XI’s I wouldn’t say we’re huge underdogs.” Gerrard was also again reminded of his goal in the famous 5-1 win over Germany 12 years ago during qualifying for the 2002 World Cup. “That’s the goal and the game that I have had to answer most questions on throughout my England career,” he said. “It shows to every player when you come up against Germany it’s a great opportunity to shine individually and as a team. It’s one of them fixtures, you either come off the pitch on an unbelievable high or a terrible low. Very similar to a derby game domestically. “They are always physical encounters. When it comes to internationals, the biggest game with the size of the local teams is Germany for us.” Gerrard also again backed Daniel Sturridge, his Liverpool team-mate, to thrive alongside Wayne Rooney. “I was surprised Chelsea let him go,” he said. “The stage is set for Daniel to go on and prove to everyone that he’s a top-class forward. The difference is Wayne’s done it, Daniel’s got to go and do it now. He’s certainly got the talent.”
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 23:37:02 +0000
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