Frank Lampard believes England coach Fabio Capello has “two great options” at his disposal.

He feels England are fortunate to be able to select Jermain Defoe or Emile Heskey for Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier with Croatia at Wembley.

Defoe has begun the current campaign in stunning form with Tottenham and he took his England goal tally to five in the last three internationals by netting against Slovenia on Saturday.

All of those appearances were as a second half substitute and Capello admits the former West Ham player is giving him food for thought.

But Heskey’s physical presence may prove invaluable against Croatia despite his shortage of goals and he was a key figure in the 4-1 win in Zagreb last September.

Lampard, who played alongside Defoe during his West Ham days, said: “The manager has to make the decision and we’ve got faith in him because he has shown he makes right decisions.

“Both players have made great cases to play on Wednesday. Jermain has hit the headlines recently because of his goal scoring.

“I’ve known him since he was 16 and believed he would eventually go to the top because he is a natural goal scorer.

“But Emile is also making a great case because of the way he has constantly played for England for a very long time.

“The manager has great options there, two different styles of player and it’s down to him which way he goes.”

Lampard is also backing another ex-club team mate in Glen Johnson after he came in for criticism for being partly at fault for the solitary Slovenian goal in their 2-1 defeat at Wembley.

Lampard said: “Jonno is a fantastic right-back. Everyone at some stage who is an England player comes under scrutiny and no one can have perfect games all the time.

“His form at club level has been fantastic for the last 18 months and has got him a well deserved move to Liverpool.

“His England form has also been good and he has given us an extra dimension down the right.

“We have always had left backs who have been good at getting forward in Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge. Now Jonno is giving us that on the right.”

Lampard is determined to make-up for the misery of England failing to qualify for the 2008 European Championships after being beaten 3-2 by Croatia at Wembley.

He said: “That will only play on our minds in a positive way because it was a low point for all of us and the nation and we won’t forget that.

“We hope we can put that right on Wednesday and qualify for the World Cup finals with a couple of games to spare.

“It will be nice to go into that game having a lot of confidence and also not a depleted squad which was the case two years ago.

“People go on about the past matches between the countries but all we have to concentrate on really is the game coming up on Wednesday.”

Frank Lampard wants to emulate Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola and play on till his 30s.

Speaking to The Sun, “I have been lucky, I have stayed away from injuries. I’ve got an aim to keep getting better and better as a player and keep my levels as high as I want them to be.

“I think I’ve just had my best ever season but I don’t know when the peak will be. I hope it is still to come. I hope the peak will be over the following years.”

The England midfielder who has had one of his best seasons yet knows just who he should model himself after.

“I see good professionals like Gianfranco Zola have fantastic seasons aged 36-37. That is where I want to be.

“I want to carry on as long as he did. No one can guess the future too much and we are always liable to form and injuries and your legs packing up when you don’t expect them to go.

“But the way I feel now, the way I want to lead my life and train and play, I see myself playing for quite a long time, to the stage Gianfranco did.

“And, when I get to that stage, I want to be involved in helping younger players in the team and be a big part of the future.”

If Lampard manages another 20-goal haul in the 2009/2010 season, he may finally gain the recognition he truly deserves.

Frank Lampard has had time to reflect on the season, and says that everything has gone well for him in the current campaign.

Lampard even claims that this may well be his best season as a football professional yet.

“I think this has been my best season - I feel maybe from experience, a bit more aware of things. My assists this year have been higher and I’ve been more aware of how and when to put people in,” he told Chelsea, the club’s official magazine. “That’s something I think you can learn with age and it’s why a lot of players who think about the game experience better years during their thirties because they’re wanting to improve all the time.”

“I’m now always looking instantly for that pass and playing with Didier [Drogba] and [Nicolas] Anelka, you know they’re always waiting for that ball in behind so there’s no point in waiting around or wasting any time delivering it.”

“I watch football and I think sometimes people miss the early ball when there’s a bit of space for someone else so I always look to do that when I’m playing.”

This is the fifth straight season that Lampard has bagged more than 20 goals, an excellent gauge for one of the top midfielders in the Premier League.

“I think you have to be very consistent because at the top level there’s no room to be inconsistent,” he explained.

“It’s demanded by the clubs and you have to work hard at your game day in, day out in training to keep your fitness levels up and your mind right. You have to be a team player and as a midfielder you have to see the potential passes from deep and also be able to get up there and be around the opposition box - that’s what the best ones do.”

“And as an all-round midfielder these days you don’t just have to pass and contribute but you have to score goals, I think.”

Lampard has picked his father, Frank sr., as the man that has been his biggest role model.

“My dad saw the game changing, becoming faster, even when he was playing, but more so when he’d finished,” the Chelsea man explained. “I think he saw a little bit of a lack of speed in me as a kid so he worked hard on my speed and all-round agility, which helped because it gave me a mentality to work on those things throughout my career.”

“But also it gave me a bit of extra sharpness at that time, whch I think I’ve improved as I’ve got older. It definitely made me play with a bit more maturity.”

Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have both pulled out of England’s friendly with Germany in Berlin on Wednesday.

Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have both pulled out of England’s friendly with Germany in Berlin on Wednesday.

Gerrard reported for duty last night despite the Liverpool website stating he would be unavailable after picking up a rib injury at Bolton on Saturday.

But a check by the FA’s medical staff has proved that diagnosis to be correct and Gerrard has returned to the north-west.

Gerrard’s midfield partner Lampard also misses out after scans on a rib injury he picked up at West Brom on Saturday revealed he would not be fit enough to be involved at the Olympic Stadium.

It was another high octane day in England’s top-flight with Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all winning.

Liverpool and Arsenal both kept up the chase in the Premier League title race with come-from-behind wins on Saturday, just hours after leaders Chelsea had sauntered to victory over Middlesbrough.

Dirk Kuyt saved Liverpool’s blushes at Anfield where they twice trailed but went on to beat Wigan 3-2.

The Holland striker’s acrobatic volley with five minutes left sailed past former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland to give the Reds all three points.

Amr Zaki had looked to have bagged the win for Wigan with his sixth and seventh league goals of the season.

He scored a blistering acrobatic effort on the stroke of half-time to give Wigan the lead after giving the visitors the lead on 28 minutes after a mistake by Daniel Agger.

The defender made up for his error eight minutes before half-time when he went on a surging run down the right flank before cutting inside and squaring to Dirk Kuyt who turned the ball home.

Albert Riera levelled the scores with 10 minutes left before Kuyt secured the win.

Arsenal also came from behind to snatch all three points at the Emirates where they faced Everton.

Second-half substitute Theo Walcott ensured all three points in the dying minutes after a one-two with Abou Diaby to make it 3-1.

Everton had taken the lead after a well-taken goal from Leon Osman after 10 minutes but Arsenal hit back through Samir Nasri and Robin Van Persie before Walcott sealed the win.

In the lunchtime kick-off, Chelsea had briefly gone clear at the top of the table after thumping Middlesbrough 5-0 at the Riverside.

Luiz Felipe Scolari made the long trip north without eight of his first-team regulars but his squad’s strength in depth was clear to see as they condemned Boro to the heaviest defeat of Gareth Southgate’s reign.

The visitors dominated the first half and went in at the break 1-0 up after a 14th-minute goal from Salomon Kalou.

Juliano Belletti doubled Chelsea’s lead in emphatic style six minutes after the break when he hammered a swerving 35-yard strike past Ross Turnbull in the Boro goal.

Kalou made the points safe with his second when his shot took a wicked deflection off Middlesbrough defender David Wheater.

Frank Lampard gave Scolari further reason to be cheerful when he turned in Chelsea’s fourth with a close-range header after a slick move between Kalou and Nicolas Anelka.

Florent Malouda then pounced from three yards out after an Anelka strike squirmed through Turnbull’s hands to complete the rout with 66 minutes on the clock.

Later Manchester United also posted a comfortable win, four second-half goals giving them a 4-0 victory over West Brom.

The Baggies offered some stiff resistance in the opening 45 minutes which saw Wayne Rooney have a goal controversially chalked off.

However, it was Rooney who did put United ahead shortly after the break and that opened the floodgates.

Cristiano Ronaldo doubled the advantage before Dimitar Berbatov netted his first Premier League goal to make it 3-0.

Nani put the seal on victory with a late fourth to push United into the top four for the first time this season - six points behind Chelsea and Liverpoool but with a game in hand.

Sunderland boss Roy Keane will feel aggrieved that his side did not come away from Craven Cottage with more than a point after a 0-0 draw against Fulham.

Kieran Richardson saw his first-half free-kick ricochet agonisingly off both posts and had a similar second-half free-kick ruled out for pushing in the wall.

Djibril Cisse also rattled the woodwork with a late strike, but Fulham held on for the draw.

Aston Villa played out a goalless draw with Portsmouth at Villa Park.

John Carew came closest to scoring for the hosts but to David James’ relief, his last-gasp strike struck the bar and sailed over.

Brad Friedel pulled off an impressive save to deny Sean Davis after three minutes and both sides failed to break the deadlock thereafter.

It was the same story at the Reebok where Bolton’s game with Blackburn ended in a goalless stalemate.

Robbie Fowler made his first start for the visitors after Roque Santa Cruz was ruled out through injury, but the former Liverpool striker could not find the net.

Bolton’s best chance came from Jlloyd Samuel on the hour but his shot looped over Paul Robinson after an intervention from Chris Samba.