Michael Ballack hopes England's boo-boys lay-off Chelsea teammate Frank Lampard.

Germany captain Ballack, set to line up opposite Lampard in Wednesday night's international friendly in Berlin, said: "Frank always gives his all.

"He wants to play well for England and would like it if they accepted him and loved him a bit more. But that doesn't seem the case. If people are having a go at you for no apparent reason then that doesn't help your confidence.

"You can have as much mental strength as possible but having the support of the fans is a big part of your game.

"You need to feel wanted and accepted."

Ballack added: "You have to be strong to overcome criticism, more so if it's unjust.

"We can all shrug our shoulders and pretend it doesn't matter but it does.

"We all care what others think of us. Frank is a big player for Chelsea and the same should apply to England."