Position: Midfielder
Born: 30.05.80
Club: Liverpool

The heart and soul of Sven-Goran Eriksson's side, Steven Gerrard embodies all the qualities which make England fans so passionate about the national team.

The Liverpool midfielder enjoyed talismanic status early on in his England career as it was not until his 22nd cap that he suffered his first international defeat, coincidentally whilst captaining the side for the first time.

The highlight of those early years was undoubtedly his stunning goal in England's 5-1 win over Germany in Munich in September 2001. Sadly he was unable to travel to the World Cup the following year due to injury but returned to the side to play a key role in the qualifying campaign for Euro 2004 and the tournament itself.

Gerrard's controlled aggression makes him a ferocious competitor but he has an excellent disciplinary record. Positionally, he has been used to great effect with his club in an attacking midfield role, but for England, has found himself shunted between the left flank and a less adventurous central berth.

Many England fans feel they rarely get to see the best of Gerrard, and it is true that he and Frank Lampard have not exactly flourished when used in tandem in midfield. However, having taken his game to a new level whilst conquering Europe with Liverpool in 2005, Gerrard continues to set himself high standards - and is more than capable of attaining international honours this year.