Everton’s Phil Jagielka and Chelsea’s Gary Cahill have spoken about facing Liverpool’s Luis Suarez at this summer’s World Cup.
The defenders are expected to start in England’s defence at the tournament, which gets underway on Thursday in Brazil.
England face Uruguay in their second group game on Thursday, 19th June at Arena Corinthians in São Paulo and Suarez is hoping to have recovered from a recent knee operation in time for the clash.
Suarez finished the season having scored 31 goals in 33 league appearances, and created a further 87 goalscoring chances for teammates, according to Squawka.
Jagielka is no stranger to playing against Suarez, having been part of an Everton defence that let in seven goals against Liverpool in their two Premier League meetings in 2013/14.
Suarez scored the Reds’ second in a 3-3 draw at Goodison Park in November, and the fourth in a 4-0 rout at Anfield in January.
“He nearly is impossible to handle at times,” Jagielka told the Liverpool Echo .
“Not only is he a very gifted individual but he seems to get the run of the ball most of the time which makes it even more frustrating.
“If he isn’t taking you on purposefully and being as good as he can be, he seems to get that bit of luck.
“It’s frustrating but you also create your own luck in football and because he tries thing so many times you get the breaks.
“And he doesn’t score the goals he scores because he’s a lucky player, he scores them because he is a fantastic player.
“So he will be one of the players we will be looking at in that game but they have a few other decent players so there is no point in us just focusing on Suarez.
“They have not qualified just because of Luis Suarez.”
Suarez isn’t the only big name striker England come up against this summer, with Italy’s Mario Balotelli a danger in their opening game this Saturday at Arena Amazônia in Manaus (kick-off 11pm UK).
But Cahill is relishing the opportunity to face both Suarez and Balotelli, and believes his experience against them for Chelsea will benefit England.
“I’ve played against Balotelli and Suarez and some of the other strikers we’ll be facing and that helps, certainly,” Cahill said in the Daily Mirror .
“When you’re talking about the key players, the dangerous players, to be aware of them and what they do always helps.
“If you come up against someone who you’ve never played against before and know nothing about, sometimes that can surprise you.
“So to know these players is good. And to respect the quality of these players is good as well. I’ve played against both of them.”
Brazil v Croatia is the opening game of the 2014 World Cup, this Thursday night at 9pm (UK) in São Paulo.
Everton’s Phil Jagielka and Chelsea’s Gary Cahill have spoken about facing Liverpool’s Luis Suarez at this summer’s World Cup.
The defenders are expected to start in England’s defence at the tournament, which gets underway on Thursday in Brazil.
England face Uruguay in their second group game on Thursday, 19th June at Arena Corinthians in São Paulo and Suarez is hoping to have recovered from a recent knee operation in time for the clash.
Suarez finished the season having scored 31 goals in 33 league appearances, and created a further 87 goalscoring chances for teammates, according to Squawka.
Jagielka is no stranger to playing against Suarez, having been part of an Everton defence that let in seven goals against Liverpool in their two Premier League meetings in 2013/14.
Suarez scored the Reds’ second in a 3-3 draw at Goodison Park in November, and the fourth in a 4-0 rout at Anfield in January.
“He nearly is impossible to handle at times,” Jagielka told the Liverpool Echo .
“Not only is he a very gifted individual but he seems to get the run of the ball most of the time which makes it even more frustrating.
“If he isn’t taking you on purposefully and being as good as he can be, he seems to get that bit of luck.
“It’s frustrating but you also create your own luck in football and because he tries thing so many times you get the breaks.
“And he doesn’t score the goals he scores because he’s a lucky player, he scores them because he is a fantastic player.
“So he will be one of the players we will be looking at in that game but they have a few other decent players so there is no point in us just focusing on Suarez.
“They have not qualified just because of Luis Suarez.”
Suarez isn’t the only big name striker England come up against this summer, with Italy’s Mario Balotelli a danger in their opening game this Saturday at Arena Amazônia in Manaus (kick-off 11pm UK).
But Cahill is relishing the opportunity to face both Suarez and Balotelli, and believes his experience against them for Chelsea will benefit England.
“I’ve played against Balotelli and Suarez and some of the other strikers we’ll be facing and that helps, certainly,” Cahill said in the Daily Mirror .
“When you’re talking about the key players, the dangerous players, to be aware of them and what they do always helps.
“If you come up against someone who you’ve never played against before and know nothing about, sometimes that can surprise you.
“So to know these players is good. And to respect the quality of these players is good as well. I’ve played against both of them.”
Brazil v Croatia is the opening game of the 2014 World Cup, this Thursday night at 9pm (UK) in São Paulo.
Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler has urged England boss Roy Hodgson to show the same faith in Rickie Lambert at the World Cup as the Reds have shown in signing him this summer.
England get their World Cup campaign underway against Italy on Saturday night, with Lambert expected to be on the bench.
The 32-year-old became Brendan Rodgers‘ first signing of the summer when he completed a £4 million from Southampton earlier this month.
And after 13 goals in 2013/14 for the Saints, Fowler is backing him to produce the goods for England in Brazil.
“I would play Lambert, [Wayne] Rooney and Sturridge as a front three,” Fowler told radio station talkSPORT.
“I’m old school – I want to win games playing with excitement and getting people off their seats. I’d have Lambert as the focal point, and have Rooney and Sturridge playing off him as a three.
“Lambert gives you other options and I think that’s probably what England lacked in a few of the games where Lambert has not played. Everyone wants to drop off and get the ball, and there’s no-one behind the defenders.
“At least Rickie Lambert will stay up there, the ball will stick and it will give other players a chance to get forward.”
The World Cup kicks off on Thursday, 12th June with Brazil v Croatia at 9pm UK time and continues until the final on Sunday, 13th July.
The post season break is already providing an influx of Liverpool transfer news, with Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Emre Can becoming the second Reds signing of the summer.
Liverpool have also been heavily linked with a move for Sevilla left-back Alberto Moreno, though reports in Tuesday morning’s papers suggested the deal has stalled.
Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler has urged England boss Roy Hodgson to show the same faith in Rickie Lambert at the World Cup as the Reds have shown in signing him this summer.
England get their World Cup campaign underway against Italy on Saturday night, with Lambert expected to be on the bench.
The 32-year-old became Brendan Rodgers‘ first signing of the summer when he completed a £4 million from Southampton earlier this month.
And after 13 goals in 2013/14 for the Saints, Fowler is backing him to produce the goods for England in Brazil.
“I would play Lambert, [Wayne] Rooney and Sturridge as a front three,” Fowler told radio station talkSPORT.
“I’m old school – I want to win games playing with excitement and getting people off their seats. I’d have Lambert as the focal point, and have Rooney and Sturridge playing off him as a three.
“Lambert gives you other options and I think that’s probably what England lacked in a few of the games where Lambert has not played. Everyone wants to drop off and get the ball, and there’s no-one behind the defenders.
“At least Rickie Lambert will stay up there, the ball will stick and it will give other players a chance to get forward.”
The World Cup kicks off on Thursday, 12th June with Brazil v Croatia at 9pm UK time and continues until the final on Sunday, 13th July.
The post season break is already providing an influx of Liverpool transfer news, with Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Emre Can becoming the second Reds signing of the summer.
Liverpool have also been heavily linked with a move for Sevilla left-back Alberto Moreno, though reports in Tuesday morning’s papers suggested the deal has stalled.
