‘I would never turn my back on England to concentrate on Liverpool’ - Gerrard

England captain Steven Gerrard has insisted he will never turn his back on his country, Daily Mail reported.

The Liverpool skipper has seen team-mate Jamie Carragher and Manchester United’s Paul Scholes retire early from international football to concentrate on their clubs.

But the 31-year-old said: ‘I can understand that at my age people are going to start questioning me and asking if I’m going to quit England and focus on Liverpool, but I don’t see it like that.

‘I don’t think I have a decision to make. I love playing for England, I love playing for Liverpool. I’m a proud captain of Liverpool and I’m going to be just as proud to captain England.

‘If the manager says to me at the start of next season that he thinks I did well in the tournament, that he wants me to stick about, that he can protect me, not overuse me and that I have a big part to play, I’m sure I will carry on.’