Mikel Arteta Should Play For England After Steven Gerrard Endorsement

One of Everton's best players, Mikel Arteta, has been the anchor of the Toffee's midfield for the last five seasons as Everton have seen some of their best seasons in England since the 1980's.

Over his Everton career, Arteta has seen Everton qualify for the UEFA Cup/Europa League three times. He has helped Everton also reach the 2009 FA Cup final (before Everton lost to Chelsea by a 2-1 scoreline).

Arteta has also been named Everton Player of the Year twice in those five seasons (2006 and 2007).

Along with those accolades, Arteta has always been a constant figure on Everton's squad as a fantastic midfielder, but has always had one accomplishment missing from his career.

That accomplishment: Getting called up to the Spanish national team.

Even though he has had a fantastic club career, Arteta has been cursed as he has never been able to earn a cap for Spain, even though he has been called up several times to play for his native country.

Under most circumstances, Arteta would have played for Spain. However, Spain is in the middle of their greatest era ever as a national side after just winning the World Cup after winning the European Championship in 2008.

Along with that, Arteta's competition in midfield consists of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and Xabi Alonso; four players that are not going to lose a spot to Arteta anytime soon.

Arteta can make a move that seems so bizarre that it might actually work; join the English national team for the upcoming qualification in Euro 2012.

Tapping a player from another nation to join England is something that England has not done but after a national embarrassment in the 2010 World Cup, in which arch rival Germany eliminated the "Golden Generation" of English footballers by a 4-1 score, change certainly is needed.

And that change is not the "forced" international retirement of David Beckham, but for Fabio Capello to recall Mikel Arteta for England's upcoming European qualifiers.

Arteta would qualify to play for England by not earning a cap for England. Also, by living in England for more than five years, Arteta becomes available for a British passport, making him eligible for a selection for England.

England captain Steven Gerrard is all for Arteta getting called up for the Three Lions.

"I'd certainly love nothing better than to see Mikel Arteta available for England," Gerrard told talkSPORT in a recent interview. "I'd certainly love nothing better than to see Mikel Arteta available for England."

"I think it happens to most national teams [that they pick non-nationals], but it's up to him if he wants to make himself available. Fabio Capello is the man to answer the question because he's the manager, but for me he's [Arteta] is an excellent player."

Right now, no one will deny that England need to get some new blood in, but that new blood should not come from England.

Instead, that blood should come from Spain in the form of Mikel Arteta, a player that will help make England into a real contender again and will put some life into a side that did not show the heart of a lion at all during the World Cup.

The fact that Steven Gerrard endorses Arteta should only be icing on the cake.

Gerrard appears to be one of a few footballers that wants to make England great again, and put together a fantastic match in England's recent friendly win against Hungary.

England's next match is on September 3 against Bulgaria.

In the next two weeks, Fabio Capello should realize that Mikel Arteta not only deserves to get called up for England, but to play for them and make England great again.