Roy takes World Cup mind games to new level

England manager Roy Hodgson has named Dr Steven Peters as the psychologist he has entrusted to work with his squad — as captain Steven Gerrard praised him as the man he feels has allowed him to play his best football.

Peters has been working closely with Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool side of recent times but Gerrard has used his methods for a longer period.

Now Hodgson will turn to Peters’ specialist skills to help his players while they are away from home and attempting to deal with the pressures of representing their country in a World Cup.