Euro 2012: Why England's Hopes Ride on Steven Gerrard

If England hopes to consider itself an elite team in Euro 2012 and a legitimate contender, midfielder Steven Gerrard, who rocks the Kop more than nearly every player in his Premier League club's history, has to instill the swagger and excitement into his national team as he does for Liverpool.

The FIFA Rankings released just ahead of Euro 2012 had England ranked sixth. With Gerrard's help, the team has the opportunity to take the next step and assert itself as ready to make the leap.

Although the club is drawn into Germany's pot, and players are not likely to forget the 2010 World Cup loss to heavy favorite Germany in the Round of 16, Gerrard is the man to lift the team as part of that 2010 club that endured the disappointment of that loss and also the draw against the United States.

Gerrard as an individual is among the sport's best combination of offense and defense, and his versatility and leadership as team captain must drive a team that will be more offensively challenged without top striker Wayne Rooney.

If anyone is able to take criticism and take accountability for spotty play, it's Gerrard, and his attitude could yield a very positive effect on the current squad. His manager at Liverpool, Kenny Dalglish, laid into his players after an underwhelming performance during the Carlin Cup.

Rather than throw the skipper under the bus, as would have been a convenient thing to do, Gerrard praised and defended his manager as the whole club was under the microscope with whispers that Dalglish could lose his job.

The intensity of Gerrard will hopefully be well-harnessed by his former manager Roy Hodgson, who has an incredible track record of turning teams around with Finland and Switzerland, although had a tumultuous tenure when he served as Gerrard's manager in Liverpool from 2010 to 2011.

Gerrard will need to show the same support for Hodgson as he did for his current Premier League manager, in the face of entering Euro 2012 with much adversity.

Gerrard's 19 career goals are only bested by Rooney, and his 92 caps in international play are only bested by defender Ashley Cole.

The experience, offensive presence and ability to shoulder the weight of being a captain for both a high-profile English football team and also the national team, is why Gerrard must play the best matches of his life in Euro 2012 for England to have a chance to take home the title.

The team is hungry, with only one World Cup title in 1966 and no Euro championships won in its history. Gerrard will be a player that will do everything in his will to make it happen, and the rest of the team must follow his passionate lead.

Monday's match against France should be a good indication of where the team stands. There are certainly doubts from fellow footballers and of course analysts that England will be able to survive any portion of the tournament without Rooney.

However, let me recall a theory from prominent sportswriter Bill Simmons: The "Ewing" Theory.

Often, a team will respond by each stepping up their roles in lieu of their best player being out, as was the case when this theory originated. Patrick Ewing would miss stretches of time with injury or foul trouble, but when that happened, role players and other slightly less recognized starters stepped up their roles and played better.

This could be the case for the England national team without Rooney, but it simply has to start with Gerrard. If Gerrard and Hodgson can make mends for the past, and the rest of the team buys into what Hodgson has successfully sold to past national team turnarounds, England can exceed all expectations in Euro 2012.

But it starts with Gerrard.