England captain Gerrard bagged the killer second goal in a 2-0 win over Poland at Wembley on Tuesday that earned Roy Hodgson's team automatic qualification for next year's finals in Brazil.

Wayne Rooney had opened the scoring just before half-time, but Poland had several chances to shock the hosts, who couldn't afford a draw, and Gerrard conceded England, who gave away possession too easily at times, must improve their ball retention to beat the world's best.