Buffon: Balotelli has the right attitude for Italy

The veteran goalkeeper has hailed the AC Milan star's positive attitude and feels he proved himself worthy of the Italy jersey.


Sport News Flash 2013  -  Gianluigi Buffon has nothing but praise for Italy teammate Mario Balotelli's performance in Thursday's 2-2 friendly draw against Brazil.

The Azzurri fell two goals behind before the break, but a second-half strike from the 22-year-old Balotelli helped them to a share of the spoils, and the goalkeeper was impressed with the his positive attitude as well as his fine goal.

"Balotelli was superb. I would also have said that if he hadn't scored the equalizer," Buffon told reporters. "The way he sacrificed himself for the team and worked very hard was a great thing to see. 

"For me, Balotelli has shown that he deserves the respect of his teammates with this performance. He showed that he has the attitude needed for the national team."

Italy now turns its focus to Tuesday's World Cup qualifier at Malta. The Azzurri currently top their qualifying group with 10 points from four games, while Malta has yet to record a point in three matches.

I would never turn my back on England, says Gerrard

In the wake of Rio Ferdinand rejecting the chance to represent the Three Lions, the captain has said an international call-up is "the pinnacle" of a player's career.


Sport News Flash 2013  -  England captain Steven Gerrard has insisted he will never reject an international call-up as it is "the pinnacle" of a soccer player's career.

Rio Ferdinand recently earned a recalled to the Three Lion after nearly two years of being overlooked by Roy Hodgson, only to pull out of the squad after fears his specific training and medical requirements could not be fulfilled while on international duty.

But Gerrard, who has played every single minute of Liverpool's Premier League campaign thus far, says he is keen to represent his country as much as possible.

"Playing for England is the pinnacle of everyone's career," Gerrard told reporters. "If I'm not playing [against San Marino] I'll be very disappointed, which shows what it means to me.

"First of all, I don't know if Rio has turned his back on it. I don't know the details from his side. But that's what I want to achieve - help take this team to a World Cup in Brazil.

"At my age, there's no better stage for a footballer to play on. Especially after beating Brazil. On our day, with a full-strength squad, we're capable of beating the best."

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had previously expressed his concerns over Ferdinand's long-term back injury and increased recuperation period due to his age.

Gerrard, however, says his own regime is suited to international soccer and has no concerns over risking his fitness.

He continued: "I'm not tired, I'm fine. My body's good, I'm good. I have my own personal program I stick to, but that's the same as any other player - two days of recovery after a game, taking it easy, so I'm fine."

Wilshere unavailable for England Under-21s at Euro 2013, Pearce confirms

The Young Lions coach admits the Arsenal starlet is too important to the senior side to be considered at youth level, but hopes the tournament can boost Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain


Sport News Flash 2013  -  Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere will not be available for England Under-21s' Euro 2013 campaign, Stuart Pearce has confirmed.

Goal.com revealed this week that the 21-year-old is likely to sit out much of the season's remaining weeks after picking up a recurrence of the ankle injury that forced him out of the entirety of last season.

Reports had suggested that Wilshere could feature in this summer's tournament in Israel, but the former Three Lions left back has admitted he is too important to Roy Hodgson's senior squad.

“Roy will be the one that guides it, full stop,” Pearce told reporters. “It will be his call on who he thinks needs that tournament experience at this level. Wilshere and [Danny] Welbeck are so important to the seniors that they’ll go with them, but there’s a point where we have to see the emergence of young talent.

“You’ve only got to look at, say, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. A year ago, everything was on an upward spiral and he was playing regularly. 

“Now he’s not appearing for Arsenal as much as we’d like. We have to make sure he’s not just sitting in stands and on benches, but is experiencing 90 minutes of football as much as he possibly can.

“He’s got a long career in front of him, but come international games, every time our top talent is not playing, I think to myself we missed a trick there.”

The former Three Lions left back believes that the senior national side will only be successful in tournament football if a culture of winning is instilled by youth teams also winning trophies.

“I’ve got my own mentality on what I think it would take for our senior team to win World Cups and European Championships,” Pearce added. “I believe the key to our senior team being successful lies in what goes on from the age of 21 downwards, what experience of tournaments and winning they’re getting.

“Then they know what it’s like to win together and they take that with them into the seniors. I think we’re missing a bit of a trick by not doing it. In my mind, that’s what’s going to unlock us being successful at the top end.”