The Liverpool man praised the mix of youth and experience in the current national set-up and is confident that their 4-1 defeat at World Cup 2010 will not be repeated on Tuesday

England captain Steven Gerrard believes that the Three Lions are a much better side now than the last time they met Germany.

The two nations last met in 2010, when the Germans thrashed their below-par opponents 4-1 in Bloemfontein to knock them out of the World Cup, but the Liverpool star is confident that such a performance will never happen again ahead of Tuesday’s friendly at Wembley.

“I would say we’re better now,” he told the press. “The reason I say that is I feel that, if we were to meet Germany tomorrow in a World Cup situation, I don’t think we’d leave the pitch having been beaten 4-1.

“I do feel we are a lot stronger. There is a good mix of youth and experience in the squad at the moment. We are all moving forward and improving all the time.”

Gerrard was also involved when England humiliated Germany 5-1 in Munich in 2001, grabbing the goal which put Sven-Goren Eriksson’s men into the lead, but sees both matches as irrelevant to the latest match-up.

“What happened in 2001 and 2010, whenever it was, it’s not going to have any impact on this result,” he continued. “It’s a different game.

“I don’t watch defeats and I didn’t really watch the 5-1 game, either. I always try to look to the future.

“I’ve never gone into a game scared. I’ve always gone in with the idea of it being a great opportunity to be the underdog for a change and that the underdog can come out on top.”