Skipper expects 'derby' emotion
Reds captain Steven Gerrard expects England's international friendly against Scotland on Wednesday evening to resemble the kind of match he would expect with domestic rivals Everton.
The 33-year-old, who is in line for his 103rd cap, will skipper the Three Lions when their rivals from north of the border challenge Roy Hodgson's team at Wembley later today.
"Scotland are bringing 20,000 fans and we are going to have 60,000, so it is going to be like a derby match," Gerrard told reporters.
"As players it is the type of game you want to play in and as fans you want to watch."
The friendly provides England and Hodgson with an opportunity to warm up ahead of a crucial World Cup qualifying double-header at the beginning of September.
Moldova will be the visitors to Wembley next month before a tough trip to Ukraine four days later, and Gerrard is aware of the importance of a confidence boost against the Scots.
He added: "It's a World Cup year and we've got four very important World Cup qualifiers not too far away.
"We've got a big game tomorrow against our local rivals so it's going off with a bang. All the players are excited and looking forward to an exciting year.
"We're expecting a quick start and a high-tempo game. They're going to be well up for the game. They want to beat England, we want to beat Scotland.
"We play against these guys week in, week out, so it's a good test for us.
"Going into the important games in a couple of weeks' time it's important we go in feeling confident and on the back of a good performance.
"It's a big game, and we all want to play as many minutes as possible. There'll be no holding back because it's a big game and we want to win."