Gerrard believes England have the ideal manager in Capello to help them end the nation’s 44-year wait to lift the World Cup.

“He’s a winner, he’s got an unbelievable amount of experience and has enjoyed a remarkable amount of success,” he said.

“He’s transmitting a winning mentality to the team, so fingers crossed that will stand us in good stead for the tournament.

“The manager wants me to play with freedom, to express myself. It’s starting from the left, but he doesn’t want me to stay in the one position.

“He wants me to move around and cause the opposition problems by getting into areas where they don’t want me to be.

“When I play for England, when I’m not captain, I still approach it exactly the same as if I am captain and I try and go out there and lead by example, so I can help my team-mates and do the right thing.

“So, although it is nice to be captain and it’s a privilege, you approach the game exactly the same with an armband on or off.”

If England triumph in South Africa, Gerrard will follow in the footsteps of his favourite player of all time, Zinedine Zidane, who led France to victory in 1998.

“Just to see him play – the way he moves, the way he controls the ball, the way he passes – is an absolute privilege and there’s so much you can learn from that guy, he’s a genius with the ball,” Gerrard added.