One of the main reasons for Frank Lampard's recent struggles at international level is that he has often suffered in comparison with Steven Gerrard, who is viewed by most supporters as a more wholehearted performer. But the tide of public opinion may be about to turn.

The jury will remain out until England take to the pitch at Wembley against Kazakhstan on October 11 in their third World Cup group six qualifying game, but Lampard may have the majority of the crowd on his side for the first time in several years.

Timing is everything in football and, such as those late runs into the penalty area that have characterised so many of his best performances for Chelsea, Lampard has shown that he can deliver when it matters. In the week that Gerrard attracted much opprobrium for complaining that in only five of his 68 England appearances has he played in his favoured position, Lampard chose the right moment to cast such personal concerns aside, subjugating his own requirements for those of the team against Croatia.

Lampard has produced more eye-catching performances for England, most notably during Euro 2004 in Portugal, where he scored three goals in four matches, but none has been so disciplined as on Wednesday, when he stayed in position alongside Gareth Barry, protecting the back four. Other than a second-half goal that was ruled out and free kicks, which he monopolised in the absence of Gerrard and David Beckham, it is difficult to remember Lampard having an attempt on goal, a departure from the scattergun, shoot-on-sight approach that marred his displays during the World Cup finals in 2006. Such a sacrifice paid dividends, creating space for Wayne Rooney to roam and for Theo Walcott to run at defenders, and it could ensure that he earns a long run in the side.

“The manager has instilled a team ethic into us and that's where his big success has come from in the past,” Lampard said of Fabio Capello. “He's worked with fantastic players, but he's very strong on team and discipline, and we showed there wasn't one player playing for himself or looking to play at their highest individual level.

“It shows what we can do. We've worked very hard for ten days to get good results and I think we've got them. We're building a bit as a team because we were at a low point, having not qualified for the Euros. We haven't performed for the last two years and now it's about regaining that confidence.”

Lampard admits that his performances have dropped from the levels that led to him being voted as the national team's player of the year in 2004 and 2005 by the official England supporters' club, and he is eager to make amends. “Maybe it was one of my best performances for England for a while,” he said.

“I was very focused and I wanted to do well. I haven't performed as well as I should have done for the last two years. A lot of us, if we're honest, will say the same thing. We're all in the same boat in that way, we all wanted to perform as part of the team and not as individuals. We performed as a group.”

John Terry's form for England has remained as consistent as ever, but only 24 hours after claiming that he had played in far bigger games for Chelsea, he described the 4-1 win as one of the highlights of his career. “We didn't expect to win like that, but everything came together,” he said. “It's definitely one of the best moments of my career - and as captain - to come to Croatia and win after everything that happened last time.

“The performance was great and I'd like to think we have turned a corner and showed the fans watching back home what we are about. To see all the lads celebrating like that was great.

“This is just the start for us, but we've won our first two games and it puts us in a great position in the group.”