Liverpool's Steven Gerrard says he will not let the captaincy of the England national team weigh him down at the World Cup. Gerrard was installed as the third person to skipper the Three Lions within a matter of months following the sacking of John Terry and the injury to Rio Ferdinand and when asked how he would handle it, the midfielder's response was simple: "By enjoying it," he said.

"I think the people around me won't allow me to let it be a burden. I've got to use it as a motivation rather than a burden.

"For me the challenge is whether I can lead a group of players all the way to the final while performing consistently in every game at a major tournament. That is what I will be aiming to do."