Steven Gerrard must consider his future after the World Cup

This summer might be the last time we see Steven Gerrard in an England shirt

Steven Gerrard yearns for the Premier League title with Liverpool and retiring from England duty may help him on that front.

Whilst every England football fan will be hoping for a successful World Cup campaign this summer, Liverpool fans will be more eager than most for Roy Hodgson's men to fulfil their potential. 

The most obvious reason for the Liverpool fans' support is that their players make up the largest proportion of the England squad but, aside from this, many will be praying that the tournament is deemed enough of a success for Steven Gerrard to consider retiring from the England fold. 

Gerrard may be nearly 34-years-old but last season was amongst his best in a Liverpool shirt. Playing in a slightly deeper role, with Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling and Coutinho making much of the running ahead of him, the Liverpool captain seemed revitalised, revelling in the time and space that he was afforded. 

Gerrard scored 13 goals in the league, his best return since 2008-09, and was instrumental in Liverpool's push for the title; he was named in the PFA Premier League team of the year for his efforts.

Steven Gerrard's re-birth was not, however, solely down to Brendan Rodgers' tactical changes. Since 2000-01, Gerrard has averaged 44 games per season in a red shirt, with Liverpool enjoying long cup runs and qualifying for Europe consistently within that period. 

Last season, however, the Reds exited the FA Cup at the fifth round stage and the League Cup in the third round, and had not qualified for Europe the previous season. With nothing but the league to focus on from February onwards, Gerrard poured all of his energy into delivering Liverpool's first league title in 24 years. His enthusiasm and freshness were clear to see as he powered through to the end of the season, making just 39 appearances in all competitions. 

In addition to his average of 44 Liverpool games per season over the last 14 years, Gerrard has also played a huge part in the England team, making 109 appearances and appearing in five major championships to date. 

Despite his resurgence and his commitment to his country, the England captain must surely consider making the 2014 World Cup his last appearance for England. If he attempts to continue into qualifying for Euro 2016 then his club form will suffer.

2013-14 may have burdened Gerrard with a fairly light workload but next season will not be so kind on his aging legs. Having qualified for the Champions League, Liverpool will have at least six more challenging mid-week games to contend with (including three European trips) in the group stages alone. 

If Brendan Rodgers delivers on his plans to return European glory to Anfield then there could be many more fixtures than this. For Gerrard to continue to contribute to Liverpool in the way that he has this season, he can no longer afford the distraction of the England captaincy; his main priority must be his club commitments.
If Gerrard continues to spread himself thinly then it will be detrimental to both Liverpool and England.

Steven Gerrard has given his all for England in an international career that has, so far, failed to deliver the success it has deserved. 

A good showing at this year's World Cup may be enough to convince Gerrard that the time is right to concentrate fully on club football and ensure that he is able to continue to contribute to Rodgers' Anfield revolution. 

Alan Shearer, Paul Scholes and Jamie Carragher all enjoyed extended careers after international retirement; the time could now be right for Gerrard to follow their lead.