England News

• Nickname:Three Lions
• Founded: 1872
• Manager:Roy Hodgson

• Ground:Wembley Stadium
• Capacity:90,000

Gerrard issues rallying call

18 Nov 2007 - 12:22:48

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Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard believes England's Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia on Wednesday will be one of the biggest games of the players' lives.

Steve McClaren's side know they only need a point from the Wembley encounter to win through to next summer's tournament in Austria and Switzerland after Russia's shock 2-1 defeat in Israel on Saturday.

Gerrard has called on his team-mates not to blow their unexpected opportunity, saying: "We've been given another chance and that has to motivate every player on Wednesday evening.

"Everyone must give everything to try to be there next summer.

"If we don't get there it will be so frustrating and we have to make sure we have the right mentality on Wednesday.

"Since we lost the game in Russia it has been difficult to be an England player to be honest.

"To be in a situation where it's been out of our hands, and you're relying on other people, is not a situation you want to be in - and not a situation we should have been in.

"England want to be in the big tournaments and that's where we need to earn the right to be by getting the right result on Wednesday.

"Now we're going to be looking forward to one of the biggest games of our lives."