Steven Gerrard has insisted that the spirit and unity of the England squad remains intact despite the recent controversies.
Recent allegations over John Terry's private life have threatened to derail England's bid for World Cup glory this summer before a ball has even been kicked, with the Chelsea star stripped of the captaincy while Wayne Bridge has made himself unavailable for the South Africa showpiece.
However, punters looking to use their free bet might be interested to hear Gerrard's latest comments as he insists that all the players in the squad remain united, despite all of the media pressure.
"I think it is important for everyone to get on to be successful. We know there are a lot of opinions about this squad from the outside," the Liverpool star said.
"But the most important thing is from the inside we are all one, we are all together and united.
"For us to be successful in the summer, we need to all stick together. We know each other inside out now.
"We've had enough time under Fabio to realise what the manager wants from us.
"During the last couple of days, the team spirit and togetherness have not been affected. Everyone is united."
Gerrard will wear the skipper's armband on Wednesday night as England host African Cup of Nations champions Egypt in a friendly at Wembley, as Rio Ferdinand is not involved through injury.
It is the last match for the Three Lions before boss Fabio Capello has to name his provisional squad for the World Cup finals, starting in June.