Terry calls for confidence

Sep 6 2008

England skipper John Terry has challenged his team-mates to overcome their fear of failure on the international stage and show the confidence they exhibit in club football.

The Chelsea defender will lead England out against Andorra at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona on Saturday night, the scene where supporters turned on Steve McClaren when they last played there.

But he said: "There's a fear of failure, speaking honestly. It's been like that for the last couple of years now. It's not something you can put your finger on. We need them (the fans) behind us, whether it be 30 or 40 minutes at 0-0 - they need to stick with us."

He added: "I don't think we'll be able to go out there and completely change it overnight. At club level, the lads feel free and can express themselves.

"That's something the manager and myself are trying to bring out of the lads in the camp.

"As the game went on against Andorra last time, the booing got worse and it made us go into our shells even more.

"We'll hold our hands up to what we did wrong and we're coming into this campaign looking to prove ourselves, change things and qualify. That's the main thing."

The mood among fans remained hostile when England failed to reach Euro 2008, which skipper Terry believes has contributed to the negative vibes in the camp.

"When you come away with your country and look around the dressing room and see the players you're going to be playing with, it should be the best thing," he explained.

"The confidence should be there. It should be the best thing. But, at the minute, things just aren't right."