England Hopefuls: Liverpool

Liverpool play some of the most attractive football in the Premier League. They have a mix of creative genius, with direct speed. I always enjoy watching them play when they are not hammering Norwich. For some reason they always seem to give us a good hiding, so I can't say as I'm looking forward to welcoming Suarez and the boys to Carrow Road later this year, where we will likely still be fighting for survival.

However saying that, Liverpool have a fantastic crop of young English talent, and a lot of those players will be heading to Brazil.

Glen Johnson

Johnson missed a lot of action earlier in the season and has been out injured recently too, which is a shame because on his day he can be one of the best right backs in the Premier League. Unfortunately for Johnson, I always find him highly inconsistent. More comfortable going forward than doing his job which is defending. To add to that, he has made two defensive errors this year, on the surface that doesn't sound like a lot, but when he has only made 18 appearances, that is something to look out for. Johnson made his comeback against Swansea and he will need to continue playing and performing if he hopes to play.

Will he be on the plane: Personally I do think he will go. Kyle Walker is injured at the moment and Chris Smalling is battling inconsistency. Glen will be fighting for the starting spot against Italy, I personally think it will go to Walker but Johnson has a chance.

Jon Flanagan

While Johnson was sidelined, 21 year old Flanagan came into the side and despite experiencing some issues due to inexperience, heavy touches and positioning problems, he looks like a really promising player for the future. He has played sparingly with the England U21 team, but obviously with the talent we have, I think this tournament has come too soon. However he has scored this year and made no defensive errors in 12 games, so he is definitely one to look out for going forward. Although I don't know how much he will play at Liverpool if Johnson stays healthy.

Will he be on the plane: No. This tournament has come too early, he's not the best right back at the club let alone good enough to go to the World Cup. However at just 21 years of age, he has a very bright future ahead of him and I fully expect him to be making some noise in the future.

Steven Gerrard

Liverpool and England captain and one of the first names on the team sheet. Gerrard is without doubt one of the finest midfielders this country has produced in a long time. 108 caps for England and if he can develop his game, there is no reason he can't continue to add to that number after the World Cup. Known for his gut-busting runs, his range of passing, goals from midfield and tracking back, we would miss him if he wasn't here. Gerrard is having another fantastic season for Liverpool scoring 7 goals and creating 51 chances, a phenomenal amount. He'll play as long as he is healthy and as Juventus and Italy star Andrea Pirlo said recently, he could become that deep lying midfielder who dictates the game.

Will he be on the plane: 100% yes, as captain he'll lead by example and I expect him to give everything, just like he's always done.

Jordan Henderson

I will put my hands up and say, when Liverpool paid the money they did for Jordan Henderson, I thought it was a complete waste. Overpriced English talent as usual. His first season seemed to suggest I was right. However this season, he has been superb. I can't say enough about how much better he looks. He's 23 years old and playing with Steven Gerrard is starting to rub off. His passing is so much better, he gets forward into goal scoring positions more and his finishing has really improved. He's scored 3 times this season and created 49 chances for his team-mates. He has made 3 defensive errors which is worrying, so I don't want to see him back in our box all that much, but he can really affect the game with neat balls into the channel and keeping the game moving at a good pace.

Will he be on the plane: He should be. I think if we are picking this team on merit and current performance level, he has to go to Brazil. he has been one of England's most consistent performers this season. It wouldn't make any sense to leave a talented 23 year old at home when he's playing so well.

Raheem Sterling

I did mention it elsewhere, but the ball he played to Sturridge for Liverpool's first goal against Swansea was simply outstanding. That's all that can be said about that. He is really developing into a dangerous player. He needs to be a littler cleaner on the ball but he is direct and lightning. We all know that fullbacks absolutely hate a player that runs at them. Even if he doesn't start (which is rare these days), he can come on and really chance a game with his energy and pace. He has scored 5 times this season and created 31 opportunities for team-mates.

Will he be on the plane: Here is another player who I believe deserves to go. He has been consistently good for Liverpool, he has been productive and getting Sterling some tournament experience can only be a good thing going forward. Remember he is only 19 years old.

Daniel Sturridge

Has any English player performed better than Sturridge this year? I highly doubt it. He has just been outstanding, his partnership with Suarez is the most deadly partnership in the Premier League. He missed 8 games this season through injury, but he has still scored 18 times and created 23 chances for other players. He can run in behind, he is a poacher, he can score with left or right foot. He's selfish, which I love in a striker. I want players to have the confidence to fire a shot on target when they are on site. He is one of the most promising English players in the country.

Will he be on the plane: He'll be on the plane and I think he'll start as long as he is healthy.

If you have any opinions on the Liverpool contingent and who may make it to Brazil, pop a comment below. You may also want to look out for English youngsters Brad Smith, Andre Wisdom and Jack Robinson among others.