Steven Gerrard has hailed Nicky Butt as England's "unsung hero" after his performance against Paraguay helped them cope with the absence of David Beckham.
Gerrard was switched to a wide role to directly fill Beckham's position, but it was Butt who was brought into central midfield to allow the reshuffle and he was a key component in its success.
"I thought Nicky was fantastic on Wednesday, very strong in the way he played. He will grind away and work hard and he is a good passer of the ball," Gerrard said.
"He is an unsung hero because he does all the dirty work, the breaking up of attacks, getting in all the tackles and getting all the pain that comes with that sometimes.
"But everyone in the squad appreciates what he does and he was excellent against Paraguay along with Paul Scholes."
Eriksson's positive assessment of Butt would also suggest that he can start preparing to pack his boots for Japan and Korea.
Eriksson said: "He has always been picked by me when he has been fit and I always consider him an important player as he takes up good positions and is very good at winning the ball in midfield.
"He is a very steady player and you hardly ever see him play badly. That is good for a manager, to know that he will do a job game after game.
"Nicky Butt has played a lot for Manchester United recently and is becoming better and better."
Gerrard was switched to a wide role to directly fill Beckham's position, but it was Butt who was brought into central midfield to allow the reshuffle and he was a key component in its success.
"I thought Nicky was fantastic on Wednesday, very strong in the way he played. He will grind away and work hard and he is a good passer of the ball," Gerrard said.
"He is an unsung hero because he does all the dirty work, the breaking up of attacks, getting in all the tackles and getting all the pain that comes with that sometimes.
"But everyone in the squad appreciates what he does and he was excellent against Paraguay along with Paul Scholes."
Eriksson's positive assessment of Butt would also suggest that he can start preparing to pack his boots for Japan and Korea.
Eriksson said: "He has always been picked by me when he has been fit and I always consider him an important player as he takes up good positions and is very good at winning the ball in midfield.
"He is a very steady player and you hardly ever see him play badly. That is good for a manager, to know that he will do a job game after game.
"Nicky Butt has played a lot for Manchester United recently and is becoming better and better."
