Skipper Stevie eyes Euro glory
Steven Gerrard set his sights on leading the country to glory at next month's European Championships before skippering England to a 1-0 win over Norway in Saturday's friendly.
Gerrard, who was handed the captaincy by former Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson in May this year, was given his first shot at leading England in 2004 and since then has pulled on the armband 15 times.
The 31-year-old, who has 90 caps to his name, led the national side out at the World Cup in 2010 and his aim primarily is an improvement on the performance in South Africa.
"I'm delighted to be captain," said Gerrard. "It's a fresh start with a new manager so everybody is looking forward to the challenge and are positive about moving forward. I've worked with the manager before, day in and day out at Liverpool and he's a winner.
"It's something I've dreamt of since I was a very young boy and I want to make the most of it. I want to be remembered as a successful captain. It was very difficult in South Africa because we didn't reach the level that this team is capable of but throughout the campaign we've showed we are a good team.
"But it's not just about the captain; it's about having a lot of leaders out there who can work hard for the one goal."
Gerrard, who has been overlooked for the England captaincy in the past, admitted it was a relief to get the phone call from Hodgson to tell him he was skipper.
"When the manager phoned me and told me I was over the moon," explained Gerrard. "I have to relish it and not take it as a pressure. I'm an experienced player, I've been in this set-up for a long time, so I feel as if I'm big enough to handle this responsibility.
"It feels like the first time I've been official captain. All the other times, I've known the armband was going to go back, either after the tournament or individual games.
"Fabio Capello decided to go with other people - Rio and JT - which was fine because they're fantastic captains. Fabio always had belief in me as a player but it was quite clear he didn't have total belief for me to be the official captain.
"This manager has come in and done that. It's very nice and good for my confidence and belief as well."