The England midfielder has been hampered by a tendonitis problem since arriving from Bayern Munich in the summer, but insists the manager's cautious approach has left him feeling in top shape.

"I feel great," said the Calgary-born star.

"I have played pretty much every game since my break and so far everything has gone really well.

"The manager is keeping an eye on me and picking the times that I play. I really appreciate that.

"It is not that I might be tempted to push things too much, more that the manager is a great judge of how players are and how they feel.

"I trust him completely in that respect. He sees everything and makes the right decisions."