England captain Steven Gerrard has called on his side to "make a statement" and take all three points in Tuesday's crunch World Cup qualifier against Montenegro.

Gerrard was rested on Friday as Roy Hodgson's side strolled past San Marino, but the Liverpool midfielder has insisted that the hard work ahead of Tuesday starts now.

Montenegro hold a narrow lead over the Three Lions in Group H and Gerrard has called up on his team to step up and take responsibility in a more hostile atmosphere.

He told The Guardian: "Friday night was all about being professional, getting three points on the board and trying to entertain, and the lads did that. But the hard work starts now.

"They have some world-class individuals if you look at Stevan Jovetic and Mirko Vucinic, so we know it will be a much tougher game. We'll be expecting a real cauldron over there. Their supporters will make it as hostile as they can. We're used to playing in front of bigger crowds, but these are the type of atmospheres where they try to intimidate us.

"They will be desperate to beat us. So everything's against us, but we've got the players to handle the situation and get the three points. Everyone has to take responsibility. We have to keep 11 men on the pitch because it's going to be a pressure situation and we don't want to give the referee any excuse to send any of us off. We want to make a statement."

Gerrard is expected to return to England's starting XI for the crucial qualifier along with Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson.

Written by
Liam Power