Leader: Roy Hodgson plumped for Steven Gerrard as skipper

‘Steven merits the award and distinction,’ said Hodgson. ‘It is such an honour to play for your country and we have to get back to that. This may sound naive, but one of the things that has impressed me in my talks with the players is how much they do still prize playing for England, and how important it is to them.’

He also insisted his squad can be European champions, like Denmark in 1992 and Greece in 2004. Hodgson added: ‘The senior players I’ve spoken to, who have one or two disappointments where they’ve had to come home and face criticism, would tell you we can win it.

‘I’d refer you to the Danes and the Greeks. You don’t necessarily have to be the best team to win. You can get by with good team spirit, a bit of luck at the right times. We go believing we can do a good job. We’re one of 16 teams there. I’m not a gambler, but...’

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