Wednesday 22 March 2017 20:06, UK
Gary Cahill, who will skipper England against Germany on Wednesday, says the fixture is being taken seriously despite it being a friendly.
After facing the Germans in Dortmund, England will meet Lithuania in a World Cup Qualifier this weekend but Cahill says the squad is taking it one step at a time.
Asked about the friendly, the Chelsea captain said: "It's definitely important. Momentum is everything and proves everything is going right, especially against huge opposition.
"It's a chance to test ourselves against these players and it's a game we should be looking forward to, competing against top European players."
In the absence of Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, Cahill is delighted to be wearing the armband.
He added: "It's a huge honour every single time you play for England, never mind captaining your country."
Cahill had words of praise for manager Gareth Southgate, for whom this will be his first match as permanent boss. The central defender went on: "Games have come around really fast.
"It's great to get stuck into the tactics on how he wants to approach the game tomorrow.
"And to take on board the manager's ideas, his experiences. He knows what it's like to play for England, and the pressures of being in our shoes and taking part in tournaments.
"It's good for me and the younger ones. And we've taken a lot out of yesterday's [motivational] speech [by Southgate]. I'm going to keep it in-house but it was a positive one."
He knows what it's like to play for England, and the pressures of being in our shoes.
Cahill admits he is feeling strong right now, helped by Chelsea's form under Antonio Conte which sees the Blues 10 points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
He said: "A great season for me personally. After what happened last season, we've turned it around.
"I've enjoyed the new system we've been playing, we've adapted well as a squad and I think I've grown as a player - even at 31.
"I'm still learning a lot, I'm in a good place at the minute, and we've put ourselves in a fantastic position but I'm fully focused on Wednesday."
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