England manager Roy Hodgson said he was “proud to be the driver” of the national team as he announced his World Cup squad at Vauxhall HQ in Luton on Monday.
The nation’s press descended on Griffin House, off Osborne Road, to hear who had made the cut for the plane to Brazil– with Luke Shaw the only shock inclusion.
Otherwise Fraser Forster, Ross Barkley, Adam Lallana, Raheem Sterling and Rickie Lambert were the only members with less than five caps– while inexperienced defenders Jon Flanagan and John Stones made the standby list.
The squad will fly out to a training camp in Miami from Luton Airport on June 1.
On the squad, Hodgson said: “Do I believe the squad can win the World Cup? Yes, otherwise what is the point of taking a squad to the World Cup. But they are empty words as, if you ask other coaches, they will say the same.
“I hope, with the rest of the country, that the squad chosen will give a good account and will not let the country down in any way.
“We are aware that in this group there are players who haven’t played 50 odd games but I still think that the balance is good.”
England begin their campaign against Italy on June 14.