Owen and Gerrard unite to defend friendly values

Three key players came to Sven Goran Eriksson's aid last night by supporting the beleaguered England manager in the escalating dispute between club and country.

Their domestic managers may not believe there is any value in England's international friendly against Portugal tomorrow, but Michael Owen and Stephen Gerrard of Liverpool, and Rio Ferdinand of Manchester United, all spoke convincingly in favour of the Villa Park fixture.

Filling the void left by Eriksson's silence on the issue, Owen, who will captain England in the absence of David Beckham, said: "Certain friendlies are important. If we didn't have this one we'd be going into the European Championship qualifiers having not played since we were knocked out by Brazil in June.

"Everyone wants to play. With the age group of this squad we need to play together. The more we do the better we understand each other. It's not as if we play 10 friendlies between each competitive game. One friendly is a fair compromise."

On Wednesday Gérard Houllier, the Liverpool manager, said: "Even the players themselves don't seem to enjoy them any more. It's really hard to them to have the right motivation."

Owen, who stressed that Houllier had never pressured him to pull out of an international, responded: "It's not like club level. You don't get the chance to play in hundreds of these games."

Gerrard, who was forced to miss the World Cup to have a groin operation, having aggravated the injury helping Liverpool secure a Champions' League place, said: "I disagree. Every game you give your all. This is the same as playing a club friendly in pre-season. You are trying to get things right. That is what these friendlies are for, to improve the team and give us some more experience.

"I'm looking forward to this match as if it was a World Cup game. I feel like a new player. I made the right decision having surgery. I was going into games knowing I wouldn't finish them. That's not the right frame of mind. I'm now recovering better from games and hope I can be fit for the whole season."

It was suspected that Liverpool had delayed Gerrard's operation, and thus put him out of the World Cup, because of their league aspirations but the player said the decision to have the operation was his, not Houllier's. He added: "Towards the end of the season it got worse and worse. I was going into games without training. I realised I would not be going to the World Cup, but Liverpool needed points to get into the Champions' League. I was in a no-win situation. I hoped I could get through it but it wasn't to be.

"I could have said 'I'm fit enough', gone to the World Cup and been fit for the first game. But my groin was not in the condition to play three games in eight days. I also thought there were other players able to do the job Sven wanted me to do. Nicky Butt was one and he had a fantastic World Cup.

"Watching, I was jealous and disappointed but I was also cheering them on, kicking every ball, off my seat when they had a shot, holding my head when something went wrong."

Ferdinand, whose team-mate Paul Scholes played for his club this week after England had been told he was unfit, said: "When there is an opportunity to play, we should play. As long as you are fit, you want to be here. It is also good for young players, they get more opportunities in friendlies."

It would admittedly be surprising if any of the trio said he felt he was wasting his time in Birmingham but their arguments are valid. England have scheduled only two fixtures prior to the season's end (the other is in February, probably against France). The matches are valuable both for team-building and to introduce newcomers. Of the 15 players given debuts by Eriksson, only Ashley Cole started in a competitive fixture. Cole, said Eriksson, had proved himself playing for Arsenal in the Champions' League but not every player has that advantage. Had it not been for the opportunity to shine in friendlies Darius Vassell, Wayne Bridge and Trevor Sinclair may never have forced their way into the World Cup squad.

Tomorrow Lee Bowyer, Paul Robinson, and possibly David Dunn, will be the latest players to be weaned into the international arena. The prospects of Bowyer and Dunn doing so from the start may depend on the result of fitness tests on Butt and Gerrard. Butt has a toe injury, Gerrard suffered ankle ligament damage on Monday. After treatment he played on then and, in a confirmation of his desire to figure tomorrow, said: "It's still a bit painful but it will not stop me playing."