90min Exclusive: Former England Star Offers Advice to Injured Liverpool Trio on World Cup Heartbreak

Former England star Ledley King has offered a word of advice and support for the injured Liverpool trio of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana and Joe Gomez, all of whom saw their World Cup hopes dashed by injury issues. 

Oxlade-Chamberlain injured his knee in Liverpool's Champions League semi-final against Roma, while an ankle knock ruled Gomez out of the tournament after a late push to make the squad. Lallana, meanwhile, played just 236 league minutes all season as a series of hamstring issues crippled his campaign and ruined a late push to make Gareth Southgate's 23-man squad. 

Image by Chris Deeley

King, speaking to 90min at the William Hill Arms, drew on his own experiences with World Cup heartbreak - having been ruled out of the 2006 squad with a broken foot and making it just 45 minutes into the 2010 tournament before picking up a groin injury which ruled him out of hte rest of the competition. 

"When you look back, you have to try and learn - as difficult as it is - to use it in a positive way," he explained. "Whether that's to prove people wrong or show people that you're disappointed that you've missed out.

"Injuries in any sport are probably the most difficult thing to deal with, and how you deal with it really defines who you are as a player. How you're able to turn that negative into a positive. All those players who have missed out this year, they should be thinking in the off season about coming back to pre-season as fit as they can be, ready to make a mark.

"It probably helps that they all play at the same club and can support each other through it, but the other thing is that in the case of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lallana, they've played in tournaments, while Gomez is young enough to come back and have many more ahead of him. 

"And although when he did play for England he played well, there was no guarantee that he'd have made the squad, so he'll be looking forward and getting his Liverpool career off the ground - then making the next squad. A similar thing for the other two, looking to bounce back and get in that Liverpool side on a consistent basis."

England face Belgium in their final Group F game on Thursday evening, having already secured passage to the last 16 with wins over Panama and Tunisia. 

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Ledley King was speaking at the William Hill Arms, the pub which will offer fans the ultimate England watching experience including expert analysis, plus free food and drink. For your chance to win exclusive access to England’s last 16 fixture at the pub, head to William Hill's Twitter or Facebook pages. William Hill has over 200 markets available on every World Cup match #ThisIsMore #itscominghome