Liverpool ace Steven Gerrard is convinced England will face a penalty shootout at the World Cup.

The Liverpool midfielder believes you can only prepare to a certain extent for penalties in practice as it bears no resemblance to the pressure and circumstances of a match scenario.

But he will volunteer to step forward if England are level after extra-time against Germany or any country as the competition progresses.

Gerrard said: "I've got a feeling we might have to go to penalties at some point.

"As a player at a World Cup, you've got to be prepared for a shoot-out. It's as simple as that.

"We're in the last 16 and the games, when you get further into a tournament are so tight. Hopefully we get a bit more luck this time - and I take a better penalty."

The 30-year-old admitted: "When you practice penalties in training you pick a ball up and shoot within a few seconds.

"But in the World Cup it's a 30-second walk from the halfway line when you've got millions and millions of viewers back home wanting you to score? You can't prepare for that.

"But what you can do is be ready and not shy away from it and have the bottle to step up there for another go - especially when you've missed one before.

"All I can say is 'I'll be ready.' It is massive pressure. I didn't handle it in 2006.

"If I'm put in that situation again I will try and deal with the pressure a lot better."