You came back into the Austria game then got injured again. Has it been a difficult start to the season for you?

The beginning of the season wasn’t the best for me because I was injured and getting back. And it was tough. I had to do my pre-season by myself and dig in and that’s very hard. But the club was fantastic. You have to dig in.

I waited for my chance and my chance came and I took it, that’s what you have got to do sometimes when you play football.

It’s all part of building. These disappointments they come in a footballer’s career and you have to learn to deal with it. Of course it’s hard but you have to keep going. You can feel there is no light at the end of the tunnel but I kept on plugging away and when you know you have that kind of deep resources in you it’s good. And also you have to wait for your time.

You can be 18 and have injury problems, you see it up and down the country.

Now I’m 31 but I feel stronger, it was only for the last year I had a few injuries around my ankles which didn’t help me. But you are going to get these kind of injuries in your football career, and that’s everybody. Not many people go through a whole 15, 16 17-year career without having one bad season of injuries.

Do you take heart from the fact that when the big tournaments come you’ve always been ready?

Yes. I’ve played a few. But actually winning and being in a position to win is not going to come round every day.

But it’s amazing that the World Cup will be your sixth tournament?

Yes, it’s a great achievement. We’ve qualified so we’ll see what happens.

When you’ve come back and broken down so many times in a year do you worry that it could cost you the World Cup?

I think the thing is I have to stay fit and that’s it. It’s as simple as that. Once I get a good head of steam and start playing games I feel more confident and I can start to do more on the pitch. I feel it now. I have played a few games now and I’m feeling good.

Not like last year when I was out for about six, seven, eight weeks and within two weeks had lost my fitness and was back to square one again. Also last season I didn’t have a proper pre-season, which this year I have and it has made a big difference. When I was out for 10 days I had more resources to fall back on and it’s a big difference.

Do you feel John Terry is a definite starter these days and the other place is between the rest of you?

You have to look at the whole season. The gaffer is going to look at the situation and see how everyone plays throughout the whole season, and I think that’s the best way to do it. That’s the only way to do it really.

Do you still feel you are England’s number one centre-half because you have been for years and have played every minute of the last four tournament finals?

Have I? Really? I never take it for granted, never. I’m an honest player and I’m always honoured to play for England, so I never take it for granted and say I’ve played this amount of tournaments. When you start doing that it’s no good for your career or performing well. Every time you play you should say to yourself ‘this could be my last game, so I’ll make it count’.

That’s how I play. Do I want to win? I know how to win.

There are five centre halves wanting to play, though. Do you not think, ok there are some great players here but I deserve to play?

I think you get that in club football when you want to play. It’s not like it’s the first time, you had a situation where perhaps Martin Keown turning round with Southgate, Mark Wright, Des Walker. It’s not like it’s a shock to the system. That situation has happened before where you’ve had a number of good centre-halves.

Are you worried you might be on the bench in the World Cup?

You have to say to yourself if England are playing well you have got a chance. Me personally I think it’s fantastic because you want to play. And if you get that throughout the whole team you are going to get a really good side.

How important do you think it is to have someone in the England side who can play the holding midfield role?

Most top countries have got someone who has that kind of role. Or someone who will say they will sacrifice themselves and say I will play that role for this particular game or this particular tournament. It’s very important to have someone aware of that position and in their mind they are thinking I have to look out for the lads and protect the lads.

Because it’s such an important position. You break attacks down, you can help the defence and you can start attacks as well. I think it’s one of the most important positions.

If you had another season like last year with injuries would you be worried about not going to the world Cup?

If I had a season like last season then yes, I would be struggling. But I’m not going to have that. If I had like last season, in and out, then of course I would be struggling. But now I’m playing and my football is getting better and better every game and I’m getting stronger.

What makes you so sure it’s not going to happen?

Because you have to be. You have to be. You have to believe. You don’t know what’s going to happen but you have to believe.

Last season was bizarre for me, it was odd. I was either injured or getting over injuries or off the field stuff like that. This year things have settled and it’s World Cup year and that pushes you as well with your club. It really does.

You said the holding midfield role was very important, so do you think a central defender can really play that role?

I think you really have to play there all that time or in that facility.

Maybe the odd one game but not for a whole tournament. You have to play that position all season to master it. You can do it odd games here and there but…

Could you play against Argentina in a World Cup with a central defender there?

I think you have to have someone in the facility, a midfielder. For odd games they can go in there, whatever. But when you play tournaments the team you start with is not always the team you finish with. That’s the way it goes. I know that’s going to happen. You get suspensions and people come in, it’s normal.

What about England’s chances?

You have to be confident. Every year you probably hear players say that but we have a group of players who can do something special. It’s all about the bench as well. And experience.

We have players who have played in one, two or three tournaments and they know what it takes. You need that.

When you’ve been there it’s very important that you have enough experience. Of course you want new players coming in and doing fantastic things but you need that kind of experience as well. Then the youngsters will learn from them as well.

Which of your disallowed goals (against Argentina and Portugal) hurts the most?

I think Portugal.

Is that because you had a chance of winning that year and not in 1998?

'98 wasn’t bad. You talk to other players in other countries and they were looking at us, when we first started they were saying ‘no, no’ but as the games went on they say we were getting better and better.

What hurt the most about the Portugal one?

When you get that close, these chances just don’t come round very often.

Hopefully it’s third time lucky in the tournament and it makes a big difference.

How important is it to play well against Argentina?

I think it’s very important how we play. There’s only a few games to go so you need to build that confidence. Also Argentina are right up there. They have improved and finished top of their league.

To beat them would be fantastic and it would kick-start us and get us going in the right direction. You need to play these countries because you are going to come across them in the latter stages.

Would it send out a big message if we beat them?

Yes, it would start the message but we have to finish it as well. You have to keep it going. You can’t be one game fantastic and then drop down. It’s countdown time now, we’ve got to start to perfect our game.

Are you the kind of player who once you get in the team you want to stay there?

I think everybody’s like that, aren’t they?

I’m trying to get you to say you’re England’s number one centre-half again!

I’m honest. I’ll leave it up to you to say whether I’m number one or whatever. If I’m playing my best football of course I want to be in the team. But at the end of the day it’s going to come down to the manager. I’ve got as good a chance as anyone else.