Italy's Daniele De Rossi hailed England captain Steven Gerrard as his "idol" ahead of their Euro 2012 quarter final clash on Sunday.
De Rossi is wary of the threat that Gerrard poses when they meet on Sunday and admits that he is a fan of the Liverpool man. He also feels that the former England manager Fabio Capello's influence and current manager Roy Hodgson's experience in Italian football will benefit the Three Lions.
"Gerrard has always been my idol, he has been playing at a high level for years," De Rossi told reporters at a press conference, "England are very strong, they have an Italian approach, with a good defence."