It'll be a sad day for England if skipper Steven Gerrard decides to retire, but after a dismal showing at the 2014 World Cup, rumours abound that he may be close to ending his 14-year association with the club.Gerrard has long been a vital part of the team, with his vision and leadership proving to be a huge asset for the squad, yet the team has consistently failed to deliver on the world stage - despite the high-profile stars and their equally high-profile wages.
England turned up at the World Cup with many in the media writing off their chances before a ball was kicked. In many ways, the losses they suffered were to be expected - and came against top quality opposition in Italy and Uruguay.
Why should Gerrard have to fall on his sword because the team didn't win? When discussing the performance against Italy, former player Gary Neville said;
'The football we played in that game was some of the best I’ve seen in 10 or 15 years in a competitive World Cup match or European Championship match".
Gerrard happened to play the full 90 minutes.
Of course, he'll be 36 when the Euro's come around in 2016, but he could still help England on the rocky road to qualification. For whatever reason, it just didn't seem to happen for Gerrard at the World Cup.
Scoring the opener against the US in 2010 must be a personal highlight, yet Robert Green's mishandling of Clint Dempsey's speculative effort in the 40th minute seems to be the 'highlight' that every England fan remembers.
Whatever the case, Wayne Rooney is currently being touted as the ideal replacement in the role, but it's doubtful that anyone in the current England set-up, (Rooney included) have what it takes to replace the Liverpool skipper's drive for the team.
Despite the lack of silverware, Gerrard has always given his all for the national team. Perhaps he will continue to do so.
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