Mirror: Gerrard on 100 caps and 1966

Steven Gerrard will lead England out in Stockholm and take a step into the England history books.

But Gerrard's magnificent achievement in becoming only the country's sixth centurion will be tempered by a sense of an international career unfulfilled, a string of missed chances which have passed him by over a dozen international years.

Despite reaching the 100-cap milestone, his evaluation of his own England career is less than glowing, claiming it would only be worth a "six or seven" out of 10.

And captain Gerrard says the ONLY England players who should be remembered as true heroes are the World Cup winners of 1966, admitting that his generation have under-achieved.

The Liverpool midfielder said: "They will still always be heroes of mine and heroes of the English public.

"In football, the hero and legend status is given out far too easily for me. As far as playing for England goes, there are 11 heroes, the rest haven't really delivered, for me.

"How much would I give myself? Six, seven? I have always tried to give my best for England and every time I have played I have given it all I have got.

"I admit that my performances have not always been great but it has not been because of not wanting to be here or lack of effort or it not mattering to me as much as club football.

"I have always applied myself the same for club and country. I just think people know me better now. My relationships are better with you guys. People see how much it means to you. When I used to lose with England in the early days it hurt just as much.

"But reaching 100 caps is something I never thought I'd achieve.

"Growing up, getting turned down at the national school at 14 and not getting picked for England for the Under-15s there have been times when I never thought I'd even get one cap.

"To be here on the eve of 100 is an unbelievable achievement for myself and my family.

"It's difficult to put into words, because when I speak about it the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"It's unbelievable.

"Some of the players I've played with have not got to that milestone. There's been great players before me and ones I've played with who haven't done it. It's a very flattering achievement."

Gerrard says the best England team he has been involved in was when Sven Goran Eriksson's side thrashed Germany 5-1 in Munich in 2001.

But even that comes with some disappointment as he feels the players - Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Michael Owen - from England's so-called golden generation never fulfilled their potential.

England tournaments have ended up in penalty shoot-out heartbreak far too often.

Yet Gerrard believes the pressure and expectations put upon the players' shoulders have often weighed too heavily.

He added: "I'd probably say the team which won in Germany was the strongest England team I've played in. It had great balance between young and experienced players, we had some world class players in that team and that squad.

"I know the golden generation always gets spoken about which is something I don't really like talking about but when you look at that team from front to back it was really strong.

"I totally agree with what a lot of you guys have written - that that group of players under-achieved at big tournaments. That team should certainly have got to a semi-final.

"We were unlucky at times in the penalty shoot-out, but that's certainly a regret now - that group of players should have done better.

"There have been times when I've found the shirt to be a bit of a weight and tried to play through it and get on with it. We get criticism at times and you have to take it and get on with it and just try to play through it.

"It has been an issue and it's one of the reasons why certain teams in my generation have under-achieved at this level.

"If you don't play well, you have a bad game or a nightmare you know that the amount of coverage is worldwide.

"Everyone watches England.

"When I speak to the foreign lads in my dressing room [at Liverpool], the first result they look for after their games is the England result. Even when they are playing at the same time as us, as soon as they come off the pitch they think, 'How did England get on?'

"Everyone wants a piece of England. Everyone's interested in England, even players who are playing in teams ranked above us.

"Everyone's interested in England and that's the way it is. That's what we have to get on with."

Gerrard has set his sights on playing on for England until the next World Cup in 2014.

His thoughts of international retirement probably came from wondering whether concentrating on his club football would prolong his career.

But Gerrard wants to stay in football even after quitting for club as well as country.

And the ultimate ambition is to one day become England manager.

Gerrard added: "I am gonna go into my coaching badges after my England days are finished and I have the time on my international break. We'll see where it goes.

"I have always said I will only be a coach or a manager if I feel I am good enough. I don't think you go down that road because you've been a decent player.

"That's a mistake a lot of footballers have made."

Steven Gerrard's England highs and lows

Best England player you've played with? "Probably Paul Scholes, I would say. Just because his game is very similar to mine and I appreciate what he has got. I like him as a person. To see him in training and play alongside him..."

Best individual opponent? "Zinedine Zidane, I would say. Magical feet. Feet like hands. Special."
England highs? "Scoring at a tournament, getting wins at tournaments. The Barmy Army, when they get behind you. The whole country in the tournaments. They are the buzzes. When you see the TV and the way the country completely changes in the eve of a tournament - that is the buzz for me."

Best England game played in? "The 5-1 win in Germany. Because of who it was against and because of how emphatic the result was, in their backyard, and it being a World Cup qualifier - it's difficult to beat that. But leading the team out at tournaments and being involved is great. Although they have finished in penalty shoot-out disappointments, the whole experience of going away and being the leader of that gives me memories that I will live with for ever."

Favourite goals you've scored? "The one in Munich in the 5-1 is up there with my favourites. I've scored many a good goal for Liverpool and scored 19 for England, but that's up there in my top three. The pitch being wet helped that goal go in, if it had been dry it might not have gone in but they are the bits of luck you need to score good goals and win big games. My other favourites were in the West Ham cup final and the Champions League. My other favourite England goals... I scored a volley against Macedonia at Southampton - that was a decent strike. I scored one... I don't know what happened, I ran past three men in the area and scored at Wembley against... was it Hungary? I don't know how I did it, but there you go."

Worst England performance? "I always go back to Greece when Beckham scored the 'worldy' free-kick. That was a disappointing individual performance by me. That game was on the back of me being out a bit past bedtime, so that's a bad memory."

England pranks Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman were famously accused of trashing his hotel room... "My birthday always falls when England are together - 30 May. I travelled down to that get-together with them two so they knew it was my birthday. I came in after training and my room was just upside down. I told them how carefully I packed my bag and me mum had done me undies, ironed all my socks, it was just all in the bath. You know the foam-bath that you wash with? That was just all over the place. It took me three hours straightening the room out."

Source: Daily Mirror