I’d boo England too, declares Gerrard

STEVEN GERRARD has admitted if he was a punter paying for his ticket to watch England face Hungary tonight, he would be among those booing the team.

As captain, both in South Africa and this week, Gerrard is bracing himself for a fierce reaction from a crowd expected to top 60,000.

The 30-year-old is acutely aware of the massive sense of disappointment felt at England’s pitiful World Cup performance and the need to unleash some of the pent-up frustration on those responsible for the disappointment.

It is not an experience Gerrard is looking forward to but the Liverpool star admits he would behave exactly the same way if he was one of those in the stands.

“I probably would boo,” he admitted. “We deserve it. We have to take it on the chin because we let the supporters down in the summer.

“Hopefully in time we can show we are a good team. We are desperate to make the supporters happy in future.”

Gerrard is keen to shield the youngsters in Fabio Capello’s revamped squad from any adverse reaction.

Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs barely have any first-team experience with Arsenal to fall back on, so Gerrard realises they can do without being blamed for something they had no part of. “Some of these young boys have to learn quite fast,” said Gerrard.

“We have all been in that situation when you are young and get thrown in at the deep end.

“The important thing is that the supporters don’t drag these young fresh faces into the booing.

“If that is what they decide to do it is important they give it to the players who went to the World Cup.”

Goalkeeper Ben Foster is the latest player to withdraw from tonight’s friendly.

The Birmingham goalkeeper is suffering from a back injury and has been sent back to St Andrews.

As Paul Robinson announced his international retirement on Sunday, hours after being recalled to Fabio Capello’s squad, it leaves the Three Lions with only Joe Hart remaining from the keepers originally picked.

Coach Fabio Capello has named two replacements in Watford’s Scott Loach and Frankie Fielding, Robinson’s Blackburn understudy. The move highlights the problems Capello is facing in the goalkeeping department.