Peter Reid: Gerrard should be England captain
Former Manchester City, Sunderland and Leeds boss Peter Reid has called for Fabio Capello to make Steven Gerrard the permanent England captain.
Reid, who will take charge of the England Legends against Scotland Legends live on ITV4 at Southampton tomorrow (Thursday 15 May), says the Liverpool skipper has the same qualities as England’s iconic Captain Marvel, Bryan Robson. Robson will be captaining the Legends team.
Speaking ahead of the game, Reid said: “There’s different types of captains but I think the inspirational ones in the middle of the park, like Robson, like Gerrard, galvanize the team when they need galvanizing.
“I think Steve Gerrard, when he has responsibility, is a better player. I’d give it [the England captaincy] to him, I think he’s one of those that likes to lead from example. He’s all action, he can get a goal, he can play from attack. If it was up to me it would Gerrard.”
Reid, who will be managing the likes of Paul Merson, Peter Beardsley, and Les Ferdinand against Graeme Souness’s Scotland team tomorrow night, also revealed he thinks Wayne Rooney is the best player in the Premiership at the moment.
Reid said: “We all know about Ronaldo but I think with Rooney in the side Manchester United this season have lost one game. I just think he’s got everything. He can score a goal, he can make a goal, I think his work rate’s fantastic, I think he’s got an enthusiasm about the game, I just love watching him.”
Reid also believes Rooney is one the players who could make a difference in the Champions League Final in Moscow next week, but is sure he’ll be facing John Terry and Didier Drogba on opposing team.
“I’ll bet you now that those two will play. If they’re missing they’re very influential players; it’d be like Manchester United being without Ronaldo and Ferdinand or Rooney. They’re big players and big players invariably can turn games, so Avram Grant will be desperate for them to play in the final.”
The England Legends vs Scotland Legends game at Southampton also sees the two teams competing for the Alan Ball Memorial Cup II, and Reid believes one of Rooney’s Manchester United team-mates evokes the spirit on the 1966 World Cup Winner on the pitch.
“Paul Scholes reminds me of him and awful lot. I think Bally was a little better tackler but the way he finds space and the way he passes the ball and the way before he receives the ball he knows where any player on the pitch is, and Scholsey’s got that.
“Alan Ball certainly had that – a great engine too – and possibly there’s a bit of a ginger in there on the top of the head, so Scholsey don’t half remind me of him.”
“Alan Ball certainly had that – a great engine too – and possibly there’s a bit of a ginger in there on the top of the head, so Scholsey don’t half remind me of him.”
Notes to Editors
ITV4: ‘The Legends – England v Scotland’ must be credited if any quotes are used.
The Legends – England v Scotland is live from St. Mary’s, Southampton, from 7pm on Thursday 15 May 2008 and has been organised by Toast Events. For more information on the show visit http://www.itv.com/legends/ and http://www.toastevents.com/thelegends.html.
ITV4 is ITV’s male focused channel, offering gritty cult and contemporary drama, movies and factual entertainment that doesn’t stick to the mainstream. The channel is also the home of a number of premium sports events, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, various motorsports, Tour de France and the Grand Slam of Darts. So far in 2008, ITV4 is up 36% on the same period in 2007. The channel’s top programme so far this year was the UEFA Champions League Coverage of AC Milan vrs Arsenal on March 4th with 1.5m viewers and 7.0% share.
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