|
|
'We believe we can beat anyone' - Walcott warns England's Euro 2012 rivals
Jun 21, 2012 10:42:00 AM
The in-form winger thinks the squad are brimming with confidence after securing a quarter-final place, whilst Scott Parker suggests England’s self-belief is crucial
Theo Walcott has stated that England can beat any of the teams remaining in Euro 2012 and is convinced the Three Lions have a "great chance" of winning their first major international trophy in 46 years.The 23-year-old starred in England’s win over Sweden in their second group game, a result that helped them top Group D and avoid a quarter-final clash with defending champions, Spain.
But Walcott believes that Italy, who Roy Hodgson's men face on Sunday, will be just as difficult although he revealed that there is an air of self-belief in the squad.
“It doesn’t matter who you play against in this competition, they will all be difficult,” Walcott said.
“Playing the world and European champions [Spain] would have been tough, but we will take anyone at this moment in time because we believe we can beat anyone."
Having kept a clean sheet in their last game during a 1-0 win over Ukraine, Walcott suggests that a stable defence could be the difference for England.
“I’m not going to say we can win this tournament, but we’ve got a great chance, like other teams have," he said. "If we play to the best of our ability, who knows? We defend well, which is important, and know we can always score.”
Walcott’s international colleague, Scott Parker has echoed Walcott’s sentiments as he also believes England's squad unity will serve them well..
“We’ve set ourselves up well to have a real go,” said Parker. “We have a real togetherness in the camp and a real belief.
“In life it is crucial to have that belief and positivity, and I think we’ve shown that’s what we’ve got. Sometimes it can take you far and get you somewhere.”
“There’s a confidence in the group, and I think there’s still hopefully a little bit more to come. We’ll go and prepare for the next game and we’ll see what happens."
England face off against Italy on Sunday at 20:45 CET in Kiev.
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up to Paddy Power for £250 in free bets |
|
| Sign up today with Coral and get a £50 FREE bet - no strings attached! |
|
| Sign up today with BetVictor and get a £25 FREE BET! |
|
Related Stories
Inside Goal.Com
-
Ancelotti’s departure leaves PSG in a pickle
With the Italian bound for Spain, the Ligue 1 champions face an uncertain immediate future
-
Cartoon: Bayern & Dortmund given licence to thrill
Goal.com cartoonist Omar Momani gives us his unique take on the football news of the day
-
Soulless EPL must face up to grim reality
After a season marred by controversy and a failure of its top teams to put up a credible Champions League challenge, the world's supposed best league is falling behind
-
-
Why Real Madrid are appointing Ancelotti
After the decision to dispense with Jose Mourinho was announced on Monday, the Spanish side have set their sights on the PSG coach, and he looks like the ideal man for the job
