BE LIONHEARTS
Now put England before your clubs, Pearce tells players
STUART PEARCE last night promised that England will come first under his leadership and challenged his players to follow his example.
The caretaker boss warned clubs there will be no deals over who plays for how long in tonight’s friendly against Holland at Wembley. He said: ‘Playing for your country is the pinnacle of anyone’s career. When I get asked about my proudest moment, it i s not playing i n the Champions League, it is playing for England and captaining England.’ Pearce will reveal the team and
the captain today and expects Steven Gerrard to play some part for the first time since 2010, when he was injured in a friendly against France. Pearce’s stance sparked an angry reaction from Liverpool, who thought they had an agreement for Gerrard to play no more than 45 minutes. But the former England full back said: ‘There won’t be any agreements with the clubs. They know I have a duty of care to the country and to the players. If I put them on the pitch only half-fit, that’s detrimental to the country. ‘We’ve taken care of them but we need them to be at full tilt when they play for their country. ‘A lot of the players had extra time on Sunday. We gave them a recovery day on Monday and the option to drop out of the small-sided game today. There are no excuses.’ Glen Johnson became the fifth player to pull out of Pearce’s squad through injury. Joleon Lescott was called up and the caretaker boss told his players: ‘Show us your ability. You’re fighting for a place in a major finals.’