Gerrard: My Autobiography (56 page)

All Smiles
Me and Wayne Rooney hit it off immediately with England, on and off the pitch.

French With Tears
My pass-back against France at Euro 2004 gifted the ball to Thierry Henry, who inevitably scored.

Up For The Challenge
I was determined to get England off to a winning start at the 2006 World Cup, which we did by beating Paraguay 1–0 in Frankfurt.

Left In No Doubt
Not my strongest, but my left foot found the target in the 2–0 win over Trinidad & Tobago in Nuremberg.

Happy Days
I’ve scored in Nuremberg, Wayne Rooney is back in the team after injury, and all appears right with England in Germany.

Mersey Dash
Frustrated at being on the bench, I finally sprint on to replace Wayne Rooney against Sweden in Cologne.

Head Master
Shortly after coming on in Cologne, I net my second goal in the 2006 World Cup from Joe Cole’s cross.

In With A Shout
After making it 2–1 to England with five minutes left in Cologne, I was convinced we’d beaten Sweden but Henrik Larsson equalized.

Big Appeal
My passion for England to do well in the World Cup was immense.

Spread The Word
I join in the celebrations of David Beckham’s second-round winner against Ecuador in Stuttgart, helped by Ashley Cole, Michael Carrick, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney.

On The Move
Here I lead the charge against Ecuador in Stuttgart.

All For The Cause
I slide in to stop one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s long runs in Gelsenkirchen.

Down And Out
I can’t hide my despair after England’s penalty shoot-out defeat to Portugal as Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and Frank Lampard try to take in our bitter exit.