Well done: Andy Carroll is congratulated by Gary Neville

‘The message was to try to get good service into the box,’ added Gerrard. ‘If you get high up in those areas, you’ve got to try to put good crosses in, and the big man stuck a fantastic header away.’

Now England’s increasing optimism will be given another massive boost by the return of Wayne Rooney following his two-match international suspension, with Gerrard voicing the eager anticipation of the squad.

‘He has been itching to get back,’ he said, with a smile. ‘You know what he’s like. He loves football. He’s kicking the ball around in the dressing room and can’t wait to get out there.

‘You can see in his face that he is disappointed to miss those two games and, hopefully, we will benefit from that frustration. It’s a massive bonus for us. I said before the tournament that the key thing was to try to get ourselves in a good position before Wayne comes back.
It’s a massive boost for the players, the supporters and everyone connected with England that our main player is going to be back.

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