Former Leicester City striker, Steve Claridge, spoke to Soar Magazine to rate England’s chances of glory this summer, assess Fabio Capello’s striking options and explain what it’s like partnering Emile Heskey in attack.

Now a regular pundit for BBC television and radio, Claridge enjoyed an impressive yet varied playing career that took in a long and winding road of over 20 English clubs, gaining Premier League experience and tasting League Cup success with The Foxes in the late ‘90’s.

Although he never represented his country, Steve speaks passionately about England and his hopes and expectations for how the Three Lions will perform this summer. Claridge believes Fabio Capello’s men have a chance of glory but also thinks a few issues need to be addressed before they board the plane to South Africa.

“They have a chance of winning it and they will be competitive. They are probably one of only five sides who can win it so that’s the category that they’re in. Personally I don’t make them favourites. I think we need to get a few things sorted out before we go. There are so many things up in the air. We’ve had such a smooth transition into the World Cup but all of a sudden things are starting to fall about around us so it will be interesting to see what happens with regard to the squad he picks.

“There’s no disgrace in going out in the quarter-finals or a semi-final as long as we lose to a better side and we don’t say we lost that because we didn’t have a plan B, didn’t pick the right squad or because we had an injury or the team wasn’t set up right.

“As long as we go into it in good nick with our strongest side, and by that I mean Steven Gerrard playing in the centre of midfield, then I think we have an outstanding chance. The perception is all wrong, nobody in England and in the media thinks that we’re going to win the World Cup. Everybody hopes we are and that we do well and I’m in very much the same frame of mind. We will be competitive and we have players that can win it but there’s a big difference between can and will.”

When asked about England’s striking options, Claridge concedes that the country is torn on one big decision, a decision that will arguably Fabio Capello’s biggest call this summer, that of who should partner Wayne Rooney up front.

“That’s a real predicament because we’ve got a striker in Emile Heskey that half the people in the county wouldn’t even have on the plane and half would have him in their team. So that’s a conundrum. If you take Emile out who is your best option to play with Wayne Rooney? I don’t think we’ve got to the bottom of that one. There are certain things that need to be addressed and things that might be played out during the World Cup that we don’t even know about yet.”

Another former Leicester City striker, Heskey now plies his trade under Martin O’Neill at Aston Villa and seems to polarise opinions of both supporters and journalists. Claridge thinks Heskey could have a big role to play alongside Rooney but admits that Emile’s lack of form and first team action, rather than the perennial criticism of a lack of goals, could be the issue.

“The two of them play very well together and they do compliment each other. I think, to be fair, if you’re going to pick a player like Emile then the player that plays with him has to be play well. Clearly Emile doesn’t score enough goals but he allows the other player to take the limelight by the way he plays.

“What you can’t do is carry two players that don’t score goals, so it’s important that, if selected, Rooney does play well and scores goals and that will almost enable Emile to hitch a ride. I mean that in the nicest way because Emile is reciprocating the favour by allowing Rooney to play to his strengths. It’s a tough decision. From Emile’s perspective the World Cup needs to come round as quickly as possible because, to be honest, his stock is sinking by the minute.”

Claridge partnered Heskey up front during City’s glory years under O’Neill and famously profited from the big man’s strength and power to score some important goals, including the winner in the 1997 League Cup Final. Steve explained what it was like to partner the England man.

“Brilliant, he’s a fantastic lad, a really, really good lad. It’s important that you like each other. I thoroughly enjoyed playing alongside him. He’s great to play with and he puts himself about. If you’re sensible and a half decent player you can work off him and play off him. He does his bit and he works hard, so I thoroughly enjoyed my time with him.”

Steve was speaking at the official launch of the Pukka Pies England Band for the World Cup. Over the past 14 years the band have attended every England match and South Africa will be their fourth World Cup. Football fans will be able to follow the band’s exploits on a daily video diary being posted on www.pukkapies.co.uk.

Steve, who joined members of the band at Villa Park and even tried his hand on the drums, had plenty of praise for the characters within the band and explained how highly he rates England supporters.

“You’ve only got to meet them. It’s infectious and brings a smile to your face. It’s about certain characters that walk into a room and raise your mood immediately, they always seem to be bubbly and lively and you can see why they do the job they do because they’re out there to have fun.

“England fans are undoubtedly the most passionate fans in the world and there’s no argument about that I hasten to add. If you can get them onside and get them behind you, and invariably these people can, it just gives the players that little lift when the game goes into a bit of a lull. There’s no doubt that players can feed off that and that’s what this band is for. Let’s be honest, I don’t want someone to bang on the drum for 90 minutes but I think they get the balance just right.”

See Part 2 of the Steve Claridge interview on the Soar Magazine website tomorrow when Steve talks more about his time with Leicester City and gives his appraisal of Nigel Pearson’s impact at the club.

Photographs courtesy of Paul Tonge and Raymonds Press Agency

Video courtesy of Macesport and Pukka Pies