But the Bulgaria boss has called for referee Viktor Kassai to protect his player should the Three Lions front man lose his cool in Friday evening's clash at Wembley.

The 24-year-old is known for his fiery temperament and has been subject to provocations from international rivals ever since his red card against Portugal in the 2006 World Cup.

In last month's friendly win over Hungary, Rooney suffered boos from some sections of the Wembley crowd for a disappointing World Cup in which he failed to score in four matches.

And Stoilov wants the Hungarian official to ensure the Manchester United ace does not overstep the line in his bid to beat the jeers.

Aggression

Stoilov said: "Rooney has great skills. I have to teach my players how to stop him on the pitch, not how to provoke him.

"That is not the style of the Bulgarian national team who have come over here to play fairly.

"But if Rooney is nervous because of his lack of goals, he should be punished if he is too aggressive."

Stoilov insists his team will look to take the game to England, but the Bulgaria coach admits avoiding defeat will be his primary aim.

He added: "We are not coming to Wembley just to defend.

"In a game like this, a win for us would be the perfect result but we hope not to lose.

"We have to fight to achieve that goal but we will try to play football and, in a game like this, you never know."

The Real Madrid central Portuguese Ricardo Carvalho said today that in the absence of his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo-injured his ankle, "the player" key "for Portugal's Nani, Manchester United winger.



Speaking to reporters, Carvalho, marked against Cyprus the captain's armband, he stressed that the Red Devils player has "technique and strength."

Regarding the game against the Cypriots, valid for Euro 2012, the former Chelsea player said the combined Luso "is required to give the best" and stressed the importance of maintaining the union on campus. "We have to make a good game and show professionalism to good start in qualifying," the defender said merengue, who acknowledged that the current state of selection "is not easy or ideal."

Luso coach Carlos Queiroz is serving six months for disrupting a drugs test by insulting supposedly on 16 May a team of doctors while they control by surprise selection at 0745 local time.

STEVEN GERRARD has called on England to make a statement of intent in their opening Euro 2012 qualifier against Bulgaria tomorrow night.

The Three Lions are still reeling from their dismal performance at the World Cup.

But Gerrard hopes a good display at Wembley will go some way to redeeming themselves.

The Liverpool midfielder's two goals were the high point of last month's unconvincing friendly win over Hungary.

He concedes the pressure is on the players and boss Fabio Capello to prove that a corner has been turned.

The England captain, 30, said: "The players and the manager realise that we are under pressure at the moment, which is normal after underperforming at the World Cup.

"It'll really help if we put in a good performance tomorrow and get the maximum points.

"Then we can obviously take the confidence from that into the Switzerland game on Tuesday.

"It's very important that we make a statement and show that we want to win the group and qualify comfortably.

"We qualified for the World Cup playing good, attacking football. If we can perform at that level I'm sure we'll get out of this group in similar fashion.

"The difficult thing is there's slightly more pressure on us this time around and we have to cope with that.

"We've certainly got the exciting players in the squad to get off to a good start."

We look at the stand-out players from each team...

The marathon Euro 2012 qualifying campaign is set to get underway on Friday. Sixteen places are at stake and indeed each team hope to rely on one player in particular - their star man.

Below we take a look at the best player from every country. Naturally, it is not easy to pinpoint one particular player but for this special article, we have taken into account the players' consistency, form and regularity for his team.

Here are the 32 star men ahead of the Euro 2012 Qualification campaign:

Group A

Germany: Bastian Schweinsteiger (26, Midfielder, Bayern Munich) - Schweini was one of the most vital players at the World Cup for the Germans and is one of the most complete midfielders in the world.

Turkey: Arda Turan (23, Winger, Galatasaray) - Turan already has more than 40 caps and his runs and crosses from the left wing are going to be very important for Turkey.

Austria: Marc Janko (27, Striker, Twente) - The former Salzburg striker is a goal machine at modest levels and has seven goals in 17 international appearances. Austria need him at his best.

Belgium: Vincent Kompany (24, Defender/Midfielder, Manchester City) - Kompany has been called up 32 times and has been capped every single time. No other player in the current squad has as many caps having been picked after every call up, which highlights how important he has been to a succession of managers.

Kazakhstan: Andrei Karpovic (29, Midfielder, FC Aktobe) - The defensive midfielder will be one big hope for European minnows Kazakhstan. His experience will be vital for his team's chances.

Azerbaijan: Elvin Mammadov (22, Midfielder, Qarabag) - A goalscoring midfielder, Mammadov has struck seven times in 22 international appearances. Azerbaijan are not expected to do much in this group, but Mammadov will be vital for them in terms of achieving something respectable.

Group B

Russia: Andriy Arshavin (29, Midfielder, Arsenal) - A versatile player who can feature either as a midfielder or a second striker, Arshavin was immense for Russia at Euro 2008. His creativity and force from the midfielder will be crucial.

Slovakia: Marek Hamsik (23, Midfielder, Napoli) - One of the most complete young midfielders on the planet, Hamsek was a disappointment in South Africa. But his creativity, invention and vision from the midfield cannot be underplayed.

Republic of Ireland: Robbie Keane (30, Striker, Tottenham Hotspur) - The Irish legend will again be spearheading his team's attack. With 43 goals in 100 appearances, Keane has often delivered for his nation.

FYR Macedonia: Goran Pandev (27, Striker, Inter) - Pandev is one of Macedonia's most talented players and will be his nation's main hope. The former Lazio striker has goals in him and can also support the midfield.

Armenia: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (21, Midfielder, Shakhtar Donetsk): Blessed with creativity and vision, the 21-year-old could emerge as one of the best and most productive youngsters of the qualifying campaign.

Andorra: Ildefons Lima (30, Defender, Bellinzona): Andorra will have to be strong at the back and the much experienced Lima is the one most likely to provide the shield in defence.

Group C

Estonia: Andres Oper (32, Striker, ADO Den Hag) - The veteran Estonian has yet to lead his team to a major competition and this is probably his last chance to do so. He will spearhead Estonia's attack.

Italy: Antonio Cassano (28, Striker, Sampdoria) - The trequartista is back in the Italy fold after two years and his return assures the re-injection of creativity and vision in what had been a largely uninspiring Italy attack.

Serbia: Nemanja Vidic (28, Defender, Manchester United) - Regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the world, Vidic's heroics at the back secured Serbia a place in the 2010 World Cup finals. He will again be crucial for the Europeans at the back.

Northern Ireland: Steven Davis (25, Midfielder, Northern Ireland) - The 25-year-old is gradually reaching his peak and having shown an abundance of promise in his younger years, Davis will be keen to perform on the international stage.

Faroe Islands: Christian Høgni Jacobsen (30, Midfielder/Striker, NSI Runavik) - Faroe Islands have not much hope in the qualification campaign and will be looking towards Jacobsen for inspiration.

Slovenia: Valter Birsa (24, Midfielder, Auxerre) - Birsa became the youngest player ever to play for Slovenia and his exploits in France have made him one of Slovenia's biggest hopes.



Group D

France: Florent Malouda (30, Winger, Chelsea) - Malouda is one of the best left-wingers in the world and his return proper to the France team will be key for les Bleus as they look towards a brighter future.

Romania: Christian Chivu (29, Defender, Inter) - The former Roma centre-back is often injured but when fit is one of the best defenders in European football. Chivu will marshal the backline for Romania.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Edin Dzeko (24, Striker, Wolfsburg) - The highly rated forward is a goal machine and has been a top goalscorer in Germany for a number of years. His goals could determine if Bosnia progress.

Belarus: Alyaksandr Hleb (29, Midfielder, Birmingham City) - Sent on loan to Birmingham City by Barcelona, Hleb's career is not progressing much but he remains arguably the best player for Belarus at the moment.

Albania: Lorik Cana (27, Midfielder, Galatasaray) - The defensive midfielder was one of the best players in France and recently moved to Galatasaray in Turkey. Cana's strength and tackles in the midfield offer Albania some hope.

Luxembourg: Mario Mutsch (25, Midfielder, Metz) - The midfielder is one of the few recognised players from the small country and indeed he will be key to their hopes of avoiding a whitewash.

Group E

Netherlands: Wesley Sneijder (26, Midfielder, Inter) - The Dutch maestro is arguably the most creative midfielder for the Netherlands and also scored five times for the Netherlands in the World Cup.

Sweden: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (28, Striker, Milan) - One of the most talented players in Europe, Ibrahimovic couldn't inspire Sweden to the World Cup in the summer. However, he will rejuvenated to take them to the Euro 2012 finals.

Finland: Sami Hyypia (36, Defender, Bayer Leverkusen) - The ever-lasting Fin will once again be at the heart of the defence for Finland and once more his experience and ability to control the backline will be invaluable.

Hungary: Balazs Dzsudzsak (23, Midfielder, PSV) - One of the more entertaining players in the Dutch league, Dzsudzsak will be looking to inspire his country with his silky skills.

Moldova: Alexandru Epureanu (23, Midfielder, Dynamo Moscow) - Epureanu's experience in the Russian Premier League will come into use as Moldova try to stave the rot.

San Marino: Andy Selva (34, Striker, Hellas Verona) - The much traveled veteran will have his final chance to take little San Marino to the Euro 2012 finals, however unlikely that may be...



Group F

Croatia: Dario Srna (28, Defender/Midfielder, Shakhtar Donetsk) - A versatile player who can feature either as a right-back or a right-winger, Srna is one of Europe's and Croatia's more influential wing-players.

Greece: Giorgios Samaras (25, Striker, Celtic) - Not exactly prolific for Greece, Samaras is, nevertheless, the Euro 2004 champions' main striker.

Israel: Yossi Benayoun (30, Midfielder, Chelsea) - Arguably the best Israeli player in the modern era, Benayoun is his national team's inspiration and talisman.

Latvia: Andrejs Rubins (31, Midfielder, Qarabag) - The left-winger's play will be important for his team as they look to repeat their shock qualification from 2004.

Georgia: Levan Kenia (19, Midfielder, Schalke) - Kenia is a promising teenager and his influence from the midfield is worth watching our for.

Malta: Shaun Bajada (27, Midfielder, Birkirkara) - Malta wouldn't fancy their chance of going through from this group but the midfielder will be looking to make a name for himself in the qualifiers.

Group G

England: Ashley Cole (29, Defender, Chelsea) - With Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard consistently under-performing when it really matters, Cole has established himself as England's most reliable player, and the only one to perform at a top level at the World Cup.

Switzerland: Gokhan Inler (26, Midfielder, Udinese) - The highly rated midfielder, with elegance and vision, will once again be looking to marshal the Swiss to another successful qualification campaign.

Bulgaria: Stiliyan Petrov (31, Midfielder, Aston Villa) - The former Celtic man is one of the best Bulgarian players to have emerged in recent times and his midfield abilities will be important in what is a somewhat struggling team.

Wales: Gareth Bale (21, Defender, Tottenham Hotspur) - A versatile player who can play either as a left-back or as a left-winger, Bale is in stunning form currently.

Montenegro: Mirko Vucinic (26, Winger/Striker, Roma) - One of the best players in Serie A, Vucinic is his country's big hope in the qualifiers. A lot rests on his shoulders with Stevan Jovetic injured for the long-term.

Group H

Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo (25, Winger/Striker, Real Madrid) - Portugal's superstar, Ronaldo has yet to perform at his best for Portugal and was a disappointment in South Africa. However, the former Manchester United star is one of the most talented players in Europe and Portugal's trump card.

Denmark: Simon Kjaer (21, Defender, Wolfsburg) - One of the best young centre-backs in Europe, Kjaer was an important figure in Denmark's qualification campaign for the 2010 World Cup finals and his presence in the heart of the Danish backline will be crucial for his team's chances.

Norway: Brede Hangeland (29, Defender, Norway) - The Norwegian centre-back is one of the better defenders in the Premier League and his experience in English football will be crucial for his side.

Cyprus: Efstathios Aloneftis (27, Winger, Omonia Nicosia) - The Cypriot veteran's magic down the wings and creativity will be relied upon heavily by the strikers.

Iceland: Gretar Steinsson (28, Defender, Bolton Wanderers) - Steinsson's Premier League experience will be heavily called upon by his side in the qualifying campaign.



Group I

Spain: Xavi (30, Midfielder, Barcelona) - Best centre-midfielder in the world, Xavi's vision is unparalleled. The Barcelona maestro will again be the central thread of Spain's web.

Czech Republic: Petr Cech (28, Goalkeeper, Chelsea) - Cech has been suffering from injuries for quite a while but when fit, the 28-year-old is one of the best in the world between the sticks.

Scotland: Scott Brown (25, Midfielder, Celtic) - Brown's influence will be huge for Scotland's chances to progress, especially with the more-heralded Darren Fletcher often underperforming for his country.

Lithuania: Marius Stankevicius (29, Defender, Lithuania) - The Valencia defender, on loan from Sampdoria, is one of the few recognisable players from Lithuania, and his pace and fighting spirit is always an asset.

Liechenstein: Mario Frick (35, Striker, St, Gallen) -This is probably the last chance for the veteran to try to lead his nation to a major international competition.