England can win the European Championships!

So says former Ipswich Town legend Kevin Beattie ahead of the Three Lions’ second group game against Sweden tonight (7.45pm).

There has been a mixed reaction to the way Roy Hodgson’s well-drilled side earned a workmanlike point against in-form France on Monday, but Beattie remains highly positive.

The man once hailed by Sir Bobby Robson as the best England player he had ever seen – injuries cruelly restricting the gifted defender to just nine caps – said: “How far can England go? With a little bit of luck, then possibly all the way – why not? We have a chance without a doubt.

“I’ve watched every minute of every game and I don’t think there has been anything that should strike complete fear into us.

“There are obviously teams to respect. The Germans were impressive, I think the Italians will be there or thereabouts, while Spain, as good as they are, aren’t playing with any forwards.

“I know a few people have moaned about how negative England were against France, saying we can’t win a tournament with that approach, but I was really pleased with how we played.

“The key to any good side is organisation and team work and Roy Hodgson has certainly got the team playing together.

“Sweden are no slouches, they’ve got some good players, but they shouldn’t be as difficult as France. I’d like to see us play a little bit more adventurous against them, but the most important thing is we remain hard to beat.”

With Hodgson set to check on the fitness of experienced central midfield duo Steve Gerrard and Scott Parker, Beattie added: “They’re professional footballers so they should be able to manage these games in quick succession. In my day we played more than 60 games a season and it wasn’t a problem. Forget resting players, the manager should pick his best eleven and that definitely includes those two.”