Our boys could play for Barca

Posted Wednesday, June 15, 2011 by The Sun

PATRIOTIC Jack Rodwell last night stood up for St George against football's Spanish inquisition - by insisting at least FIVE of England stars would walk into Barcelona's all-conquering side.

The Everton whizkid is sick of hearing how superior Spanish football is after the Young Lions' 1-1 draw against the kids from the Costas in Sunday's Euro Under-21 Championship opener.

The young Matadors may have failed to kill off old John Bull in terms of the result. But as far as the performance went, the consensus was that our boys were chasing shadows for most of the match.

And Spain's starlets outclassed Stuart Pearce's cubs in pretty much the same way Barcelona did Arsenal and Manchester United on their way to winning the Champions League.

Once again, English football was deemed be light years behind that of their continental rivals.

But Rodwell, 20, refuses to believe the hype that our game is so technically inferior. And he reckons Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney would waltz into a Barca line-up that is widely regarded as the best team on the planet right now.

Rodwell's confident declaration will have many fans and experts choking on their cornflakes this morning - especially those who watched our youngsters trying to get the ball out of Spain's possession on Sunday.

The midfielder's introduction as a second-half substitute helped Pearce's kids stem the tide in the wake of the Spanish Armada and snatch an unlikely point.

That keeps England - the tournament's No 1 seeds - on course to reach the last four.

Rodwell, who hopes to keep his place when the Under-21s take on Ukraine in their second match tonight, insisted: "We might not have shown it the other night, but we do have players with excellent technical ability.

"You look at our senior side, we have some of the best players in the world.

"Gerrard, Lampard, Terry, Ferdinand, Rooney, the list goes on. If they were in the Barcelona squad I'm sure all of them would start.

"Obviously Barca play a different style of football, through their grass roots. Throughout their career, the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta have all been taught to a play a certain way.

"English players have been taught a different way, just like Brazil have been taught a different way.

"But that doesn't mean to say we don't have any technical ability. We have technical ability throughout the squad."

Danny Welbeck's late equaliser earned England a point on Sunday.

Rodwell added: "It was a good game. The Spanish did have a lot of possession but if the game had gone on another five minutes we looked the more likely to nick it.

"We never give up and I'm sure other teams knew that already. We've shown when our backs against the wall we'll come out fighting.

"We'll always do that, that goes through all English teams. Club level as well. Other countries will be fearful of that."

England's comeback to earn what was, after all, an excellent point did not stop the critics panning their performance.

Rodwell said: "The Premier League is a lot different to playing in these tournaments - it is 100mph and more physical.

"Come to these tournaments, look at the Spanish, they are more slow-paced, keep the ball more.

"It's not the way we play, but our players can adapt. Over the next two games, we will grow in confidence and show that technical side to the game.

"We hoped we could against Spain. They had a lot of possession but didn't break us down. More in their half. They did play pretty football. There are certain areas where you do that.

"Whether a one-two on the edge of the box or important possession, you have to go places with it. And in those areas I'm sure we will dominate."

Rodwell was in the squad which lost 4-0 to Germany in the European Championship final in Sweden two years ago.

He insisted: "This is a better squad. We've got a great bunch of lads here on and off the pitch and the team spirit is better. I think we could definitely go all the way.

"If you get through the group you've got half the job done. So we need to win next two games, hopefully get a good draw in the semis and whoever we play in the final we will be confident."