As he stands on the brink of 100 caps, Steven Gerrard doesn't rate his performances for England as good as those of some of his predecessors.
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The Liverpool captain will join Peter Shilton, David Beckham, Bobby Moore, Sir Bobby Charlton and Billy Wright in reaching the milestone when he faces Sweden on Wednesday.
Gerrrard's name is written into folklore at Anfield, but he reckons as far as his efforts for the Three Lions goes he doesn't hold a candle to the likes of Moore and Charlton.
"If they are a 10 I would rate myself as a six or seven," the 32-year-old midfielder said.
"(Moore and Charlton) will always be heroes of mine and heroes of English football.
"In football, hero and legend status get given out far too easily. As far as playing for England goes, there are maybe 14 or 15 heroes. The rest haven't really delivered."
Along with Beckham, Gerrard has played alongside some of the best English players from the last 15 years.
However, neither player has achieved any cup glory on the international stage.
"I don't really like talking about the 'golden generation' but, front to back, that was a really strong team," Gerrard said.
"I totally agree that group of players underachieved at big tournaments."
The Reds talisman is now tasked with shepherding in the next promising crop of talent, Wilfried Zaha in particular, and he hopes to set them on a path of success he struggled to find.
He added: "I don't want any of these young lads to fear me. I'm approachable.
"The first thing I do when someone is new into the group is speak to them because I know how intimidating this set-up can be, especially for Wilfried.
"He has come from the Championship and is not playing against these players every week, so doesn't get a chance to speak to them. I told him if he needs anything, I am here."
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