5 key players for England at the 2014 FIFA World Cup

Boasting of a squad with many big names from the Barclays Premier League, the English national team has had a strong fan following in recent times and the same is expected to be the case in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It has been 48 years since England last won the FIFA World Cup, and while the expectations from the side in the 2014 edition arent very high, the players will be keen to put on a good show which could lay a good foundation for achieving success in the coming years.With manager Roy Hodgson opting to select a youthful and relatively inexperienced side, it will be upto the big guns to take the lead by example and guide the youngsters in the quest to achieve glory. We take a look at 5 players whose performances will be important to the fortunes of the England team in the 2014 World Cup.You can see the Top 5 players for other teams here:FIFA World Cup top 5 Players for each country

#5 Gary Cahill

The Chelsea defender will look to carry his excellent form for Chelsea in the Premier League (he was named in the PFA team of the 2013-14 season) into the World Cup for the English national team. With John Terry now retired from national duty, Cahill will have Phil Jagielka playing alongside him in the defence.

Cahill’s role gains greater significance due to the fact that Jagielka is returning from an injury and he may also need to provide cover for Glen Johnson whose defensive frailties are well known. If England are to achieve positive results against Italy and Uruguay, the 28-year-old Cahill will need to play his best game to keep the likes of Luis Suarez and Mario Balotelli quiet.

After missing out on participating in the Euro 2012 after being named in the squad due to a broken jaw, the 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the first major international tournament for Cahill, and the Dronfield-born player will be keen to make a mark in the event. Apart from helping the side keep clean sheets, Cahill will also look to score crucial goals for the team from set pieces.

#4 Wayne Rooney

Arguably England’s most gifted player, Rooney hasn’t been able to show his class in the FIFA World Cups so far as he has drawn blanks in the 2006 and the 2010 editions where his performances were hampered by injuries in the build-up to the tournaments. A groin injury sustained in the closing stages of the 2013-14 Premier League season along with a below-par season for Manchester United has raised doubts on whether Rooney will be able to step up for England in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

However, as it is often said “Form is temporary, Class is permanent”, the opponents can never discount the threat that Rooney would pose for them. There have been calls to leave Rooney on the bench, but the player has got the full support of manager Roy Hodgson and, barring any miracle, will certainly start in the team’s opener against Italy.

Rooney was England’s top scorer with 7 goals in the World Cup qualification campaign, and found the back of the net in the recent friendly against Ecuador. He will look to carry this form into the World Cup at Brazil and finally break his World Cup goalscoring jinx.

#3 Joe Hart

England’s number one goalkeeper by some distance, Joe Hart will be chasing further glory in the 2014 FIFA World Cup after winning the Barclays Premier League with Manchester City this season. The season wasn’t exactly a smooth sailing for Hart as he was dropped by City boss Manuel Pellegrini for a few games in November 2013 after a dip in form. However, the goalkeeper won his place back after a month and kept it till the end of the season with some assured performances and England will hope for the same from him at Brazil.

With tough opposition in the form of Italy and Uruguay awaiting England in the group stage, Hart’s keeping skills will surely be tested and he will have to bring out his top game for England to advance to the knockout stages and progress further into the tournament.

With England having a knack for being knocked out of big tournaments in penalty shootouts, Hart can expect to be called to step up and help his side end their penalty shootouts bogey. After playing a key role in the team’s progress to the quarterfinals at the Euro 2012, Hart will hope to help his side progress even further in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

#2 Daniel Sturridge

From being denied a regular starting spot for his club, to becoming the national team’s main goal scoring hope in a World Cup, it has been a remarkable turnaround for Daniel Sturridge. Eyebrows were raised when Liverpool signed him from Chelsea in January 2013, with Brendan Rodgers preferring him over some other attacking options. But Sturridge has repaid the faith in him in the best possible manner with 35 goals from 49 appearances as he formed a potent partnership with Luis Suarez which was often referred to as Europe’s best strike force.

With Wayne Rooney returning from injury and doubts over his form, the impetus will be on Sturridge to provide the goals for England which would help the team progress further in the tournament. With the core team of Liverpool (Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Glen Johnson) all expected to play a big role in the English team, there will be a sense of familiarity for Sturridge and he will look to replicate his club form and achieve success at arguably the biggest sporting extravaganza on earth.

#1 Steven Gerrard

The first name on the team sheet the teams captain who leads by example, controls the game from the quarter-back position, massively influential in attack, possession and defence Steven Gerrard will look to continue his excellent form this season where he has excelled for both England as well as Liverpool.

He will be required to often track back to add defensive cover, control the game from the deep lying midfield position, set up attacks with his range of passing, take set pieces, and maybe even have an occasional burst into the opposition half to create and score goals. Englands fortunes in the World Cup will largely depend on how Gerrard performs and how he rallies his team in the quest for glory.

At the age of 34, Brazil offers the last realistic opportunity for Gerrard to play in the World Cup and talks of a retirement from international football slowly gathering pace, he will want to end the tournament on a high. The last of the Golden Generation who still has a regular spot in the starting XI, Gerrard will be expected to mentor the youthful English squad and lead on the pitch by example.