• England midfielder has no plans to retire from internationals
• 'I've loved the responsibility' says Gerrard
Steven Gerrard will carry on as England captain in the wake of Sunday's Euro 2012 quarter final defeat to Italy and insists he has no plans to retire from international football.
The 32-year-old was given the armband following Roy Hodgson's appointment before the tournament and despite calls for a fresh approach and a turn towards youth, the manager has assured Gerrard of his role.
Asked how he felt about his role during the tournament, Gerrard said: "I've loved it, I've loved the responsibility and I've enjoyed every minute of it.
"I've had a brief chat with the manager, I'm available as long as I'm wanted at this level. The manager has told me he wants me to continue and carry on."
Gerrard admitted England had not played the best football at Euro 2012 and needed to work harder at retaining the ball following the quarter-final penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy.
The Azzurri dominated possession and hit the post twice, and although England were able to keep them at bay for 120 minutes, the failure of Ashley Young and Ashley Cole to convert their shootout kicks led to an another last-eight exit for England.
Gerrard said: "At times the football hasn't been fantastic, we haven't blown people away. The possession stats speak for themselves. Moving forward as a nation we do need to improve with the ball."
Despite the less-than-impressive performance, Gerrard was happy he and his colleagues had not come up short for effort.
"Everyone has given everything they've got and that's all you can ask for," he added. "I think the supporters will agree with me that we have played for the shirt."
But Gerrard stressed: "I think we've performed to a better level at this competition than in previous tournaments." Read More
انسخ الكود التالى و ضعه فى موقعك او مدونتك.
