Steven Gerrard declared himself fit yesterday for England's World Cup qualifying match against Finland at Anfield on Saturday. The midfield player flew to France on Monday for special treatment on his persistent back injuries, raising question marks over his availability for the Group Nine game.

His club manager Gerard Houllier has previously insisted that the 20-year-old is incapable of playing two games in a week as his young body continues to grow.

But Gerrard said: "I'm fit and available and ready for the weekend. I'm dying to get an England shirt back on."

"I had a warm-up with the physios today and took part in a couple of seven-a-side matches but I'll be going 100 per cent tomorrow in training.

"The talk about fitness does bore me sometimes because no one is more frustrated than myself and I'm dying to get the England shirt back on again.

"It's particularly annoying to miss all those internationals because I know I would have played some part in them - but I'm hoping I'll play some part at Anfield. That will be special."

Gerrard was first called up for the senior squad by Kevin Keegan for the friendly international with Argentina at Wembley in February 1999, but that signalled the start of a succession of enforced withdrawals because of the back complaint.

He eventually made his debut against the Ukraine at Wembley in May and featured as a substitute in the Euro 2000 encounter with Germany in Charleroi.

But 10 times Gerrard has been forced to pull out of England squads with the injury he believes was partly caused by playing too much football in his formative years from 14 to 16.

The Liverpool midfielder admits he has been given a strict stretching routine and a new diet to help him recover his fitness after games.

"I do 30 minutes stretching before training and have a warm down regime I have to carry out after workouts and games," he said. "I also have to keep away from fried food and alcohol, but it's impossible to tell when I will be problem free."

Gerrard will be unable to tell coach Sven Goran Eriksson if he can also play in the clash with Albania in Tirana on Wednesday until two days after the Finland match. But he intends to pull out of the game unless he feels fully fit.

"I would rather be patient and not play than go out at less than 100 per cent and not do myself justice," Gerrard said. "I don't want the manager to see me play badly and then decide he doesn't fancy me on the evidence of a game I wasn't fit enough to play in."

Eriksson has been further boosted by the news that Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman returns to training today.

The Swede insisted any player unable to train two days before a match would struggle to be considered for the game.