"I put a lot of work in!" the Liverpool captain told his club's official website. "I spoke to Jamie all the time, right from the time he took the decision to step down from the squad.
"I wanted Carra here because he is a top player but from a personal perspective it is nicebecause he is a good friend."
"The feeling this is our last World Cup has got to be the attitude going into it," he said.
"We have underachieved in the past. Everyone around the world knows England have the tools in their armoury to do well. The challenge is to prove it.
"It is easy to say we are one of the favourites. The difficult thing is getting out of the group, then the last 16 and the last eight. There is a mental situation with this team in the last couple of tournaments where we have failed to get past the last eight.
"If we get past the last eight then the show is going to start. Our players are more mature now. We are at that age where players are peaking."
Gerrard added: "Thirty is an age where you do consider what you have achieved internationally. You don't want to step out of this level of football without doing something.
"There is an excitement in this squad and a determination. After the setback of not qualifying for Euro 2008 we feel as though we owe it to the nation to deliver this time around."
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