World Cup 2014: England can win - Fraser Forster

FRASER Forster believes England are capable of winning the World Cup.

Fraser Forster believes England can win the World Cup. Pictures: Getty

The Celtic goalkeeper left for England’s training camp in Portugal last night, as Roy Hodgson’s squad begin their preparations for the tournament - and the absence of expectation on the shoulders of the team can work to their advantage, says Forster.

England’s failure to shine in recent tournaments means fewer people are tipping the Three Lions to perform in Brazil.

But Forster is adamant that the squad are targeting nothing less than World Cup glory.

The Celtic Park stopper said: “You have to go there and believe you can win every game.

“It’s important you don’t look too far ahead but you can’t have any mindset other than being 100 per cent positive. Every team is there on merit and out to win their groups.

“Every team will be out to prove something and there will not be an easy game. But we’ll go into each match believing we can win it.”

England’s first match is in Manaus, against Italy, who defeated them on penalties at Euro 2012, but before that the squad will return from Vale de Lobo to take on Peru at Wembley in a friendly.

And Hodgson’s staff have packed gloves and hats to help the players acclimatise to the sweltering conditions expected in Manaus.

Forster believes the bonding time spent in Portugal can only help the squad in the long term.

“You spend that time together as a group and the gaffer wants us together to work on a few different things,” he explained.

“Trips on international weeks are normally very short but this build-up will give us more time to work on things such as shape and the way we want to play.”

England will take on fellow World Cup teams Ecuador and Honduras in Miami in early June, before travelling to Brazil for the finals.

Asked about his inclusion ahead of Norwich City No 1 John Ruddy, Forster said: “It’s something you dream about as a kid.

“You sit there all morning waiting for that text to come through. You don’t leave the phone anywhere and it’s a special moment. You will remember it for forever.

“It will be hard not to know what people are saying back home. There will be times during the tournament when it’s good to distance yourself and keep your head switched on but it will be hard to avoid the news.

“We have a tough group– all the matches will be hard. It’s not going to be straightforward but a World Cup in Brazil is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”