LET'S SORT IT ... Steven Gerrard gets his team-mates fired up during the clash with Sweden

“Credit to Jamie Redknapp, who broke ranks and joined us too, even though he was then at Liverpool.

“In the squad today you have plenty of Manchester United and Liverpool players but many have had a different upbringing.

“Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing have moved to Anfield, yet are north-easterners.

“And, of course, Danny Welbeck knows Henderson from the time he was on loan at Sunderland.

“Also, a lot of them have grown up together through the Under-21s, so they are already good friends. It’s great to see, though, in fairness, I don’t think it has just happened in Roy Hodgson’s time.

“Certainly under Fabio Capello, he insisted everyone sat together at meal times and he didn’t expect any cliques.

“For myself, I always tried to mix with as many of the squad as I could once I became more established — and especially when I was made captain.

“That was because I remembered what it was like when I first came on the international scene and how, at times, you could feel a bit isolated.”

Ferdinand has been impressed by how Steven Gerrard has managed to encourage that collectiveness under his captaincy since his appointment by Hodgson. He added: “I’m sure Stevie, from his own experiences, realises the importance of team bonding.

“He has been chosen as the leader by Roy Hodgson when, before, I don’t think managers properly trusted him as captain, even when they gave him the armband.

“Steven will know, like I did, that you can’t have people being left on the fringes, not being included, and he has made a real effort to support all the players. He has more than 90 caps but this feels as if it is his defining moment in an England shirt.

“Stevie has won the Champions League with Liverpool and, if he could help win the Euros for his country, that would be some double.

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