The last straw for Steven Gerrard?

What exactly is Stuart Pearce playing at?  The novice manager seems to be determined to make as many impressions as he can during his time as caretaker manager of England and it appears to be irrelevant to him if they’re good or bad.  Having already taken one strange decision to include Frazier Campbell having only just returned from a lengthy injury lay-off Pearce has taken it upon him to make another one.

Pearce announced on Wednesday his decision to name Scott Parker as the captain for the game against the Netherlands, a decision which Parker together with a host of Spurs fans and a section of old fashioned England supporters will approve off.  Naming Parker as a captain holds very few issues,  the Londoner has managed to recently establish himself in the starting line-up displacing Frank Lampard and has added a dimension of passion England have sorely been missing.  Parker also has all the attributes you would want from your captain; passionate, a team player who is committed and determined – a real old fashioned Englishman playing with his heart on his sleeve (excuse the cliché).  Any club side would love to have Scott Parker leading them out every week but perhaps England shouldn’t have gone for the former Charlton man.

Perhaps the biggest issue and rightfully so is the presence of Steven Gerrard – the obvious candidate – who would have been a better option.  If I were Gerrard I’d be bitterly disappointed at hearing Stuart Pearce’s decision.  Gerrard suggested recently he may be ready to give up the rigors of international football after this summer’s Championship. 

Gerrard said in the week ‘I’m just fully focused on doing as well as I can for Liverpool this season and then playing in the Euros for England. After that we will see that happens… first and foremost is that I love playing for England and to captain your country is the pinnacle for any player so that makes me proud’.  Who could really blame the Liverpool man if he was to exit the international scene having been unfairly overlooked by Pearce?

Gerrard has been a loyal England International for the past decade.  He is one of the few players who have performed and given it their all on every occasion.  He has continued to be one of only perhaps a couple of players to come out of the many disappointing tournaments with an ounce of credit left to his name.  These levels of performances have remained high even when distractions were taking place around him.  The captaincy was thrust upon him in South Africa when Rio Ferdinand was left injured during the Pre-tournament preparations and 6 years previous in Euro 2004 he was left to play under intense speculation claiming he would be leaving his boyhood club to join the current champions Chelsea.

Even throughout the disruptions of the captaincy merry-go-round involving John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, Gerrard remained a consistent vice captain in the background looking on at the embarrassing events.  Pearce has made his decision and no amount of logic can change it but perhaps he should think twice next time when deciding to overlook the country’s most consistent performer amongst the shambles that has represented the national team for too long.

 Follow Francis Kerins on Twitter – franciskerins94

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