England Team

Coach: Sven-Goran Eriksson

Star Players: Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, John Terry

Tournament Best: Winners 1966

Last Time: Lost to Brazil in Quarter-finals

Qualifying: Top of European Group 6

Top Scorer In Qualifying: Frank Lampard 5


England go into this World Cup with a huge weight of expectation behind them, and it is easy to see why.

Sven Goran Eriksson has perhaps the best squad of players England has seen since Italia 90 and they will be expected to go at least as far as Bobby Robson's semi-finalists.

With Wayne Rooney in the side, anything is possible. He can be the one genius that any World Cup winning team needs.

In Ashley Cole, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville, England boast the best defence in international football.

The only question marks are in midfield, where a lack of a holding player or any orthodox wingers means England give their defence little protection, and have no width.

Eriksson will have to come up with a plan B this time, and if things start to go wrong, he will have to know which of his squad players can make the difference.