Wayne Rooney was in bullish mood, insisting England “have moved ahead of Italy” since Euro 2012.
The two nations clash in Manaus for the 2014 World Cup on Saturday evening, their first competitive meeting since the Azzurri won on penalties in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals.
“I think we have moved ahead of Italy in the last two years,” said Rooney in a Press conference.
Wayne Rooney was in bullish mood, insisting England “have moved ahead of Italy” since Euro 2012.
The two nations clash in Manaus for the 2014 World Cup on Saturday evening, their first competitive meeting since the Azzurri won on penalties in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals.
“I think we have moved ahead of Italy in the last two years,” said Rooney in a Press conference.
“The squad we have is youthful with a lot of energy and excitement. It will be interesting to see how we have moved on and progressed.
“The future is bright with so much ability and it is a joy to be part of the squad. I still feel I have a massive role to play. I think we can all be really excited.
“The Italians should look at our team. They have some great players, but so do we and they should be worried about their own team.”
There are concerns for the game in Manaus, as the humidity is stifling and pictures of the pitch today suggest it is not in good condition.
“At the end of the day the pitch is the same for ourselves and Italy and we will both have to deal with that.”
“It’s going to be hot and humid but that's what we've been preparing for. We're ready for the game, looking forward to it and the quicker it comes the better.
“We've prepared well, we're ready, in truth the games haven't been too bad in the heat and humidity. We're ready for this game and just looking forward to it now.”
There are fears Danny Welbeck will not be fit for the game against Italy after limping off during a training session, as he did not take part in today’s kick about either.
However, Rooney brought positive news for his Manchester United and England teammate.
“Danny will be fine. He will be ready for Saturday, he's not risked anything so he'll train on Friday and be available for Saturday.
“I feel great. I feel 100% fit, ready for this tournament, I'm not going to sit here and say expect this or expect that but I'll be giving everything I can to try to help the team.
“For me it is an honour to represent my country so many times. It is something I am proud to do and to be successful would be the icing on the cake.
“I want us as a country to be successful and I want to be successful with this team. It's not about me scoring or not scoring.
“You have to enjoy these moments as much as you can and maybe I haven't done that in the last two World Cups but I will make sure I do it in this one.”