10 Midfielders That Will Be In Roy Hodgson's Provisional England Squad (And 1 That Won't)

8. Steven Gerrard - Liverpool (Captain)

Caps: 88 Goals: 18 Mr Liverpool is a no brainer. With a maiden Premier League title firmly in his sights, Gerrard has rolled back the years with his performances for the Reds this season. Brendan Rodgers has recognised that his skipper is no longer the box-to-box midfielder he once was and has utilised him in a deep lying midfield role to great effect. He remains one of the best passers of the ball in the game with his superb vision and has contributed more assists than any other player in the Premier League this season. Along with Rooney, much of the nation's hopes will rest on Gerrard's shoulders and his duel with Pirlo in England's first group game will be fascinating. Whoever emerges victorious in their personal duel will most likely end up on the winning side. Given his long standing injury troubles, Hodgson will be hoping Gerrard will be able to cope with the demands of back to back games, especially after one of his most draining league seasons.