Ricketts adamant English clash will bring out the best in Wales

Speed's first match as Wales manager ended in a limp 3-0 defeat as his side capitulated in the second half of their Carling Nations Cup opener against the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday.

Wales now have six weeks to regroup before their apparently doomed Euro 2012 qualifying campaign resumes with a daunting visit from their closest neighbours. Speed will certainly hope the likes of Craig Bellamy, Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Danny Gabbidon will be fit to feature. Defender Ricketts, the second-most capped player in the Welsh side at Dublin's Aviva Stadium with 42 appearances, said: "It was a disappointing result but the gaffer said this was the starting point for him.

"There were some good aspects from the game in that we worked in the first half on how we wanted to play. We have to build from this, take the positives and build in every game. The England game will be very, very different but everyone is desperate to play in it. There will be a lot of lads who play in the Premier League now, so it's maybe not as big a step up as it used to be in the past - or even when we last played them. So there is no reason why we should not get a result in that game. We've got some world-class players to come back into the side because any team would miss the likes of Gareth Bale, Craig Bellamy and Aaron Ramsey."

Speed was appointed in December in succession to the long-serving John Toshack, who was stood down after defeat in the opening Euro 2012 qualifier.

Wales went on to lose twice more under the caretaker charge of Brian Flynn and their chances of reaching the finals in Poland and Ukraine next year look hopeless. The team were defensively poor as Ireland upped the tempo after the break and fell apart after Darron Gibson opened the scoring on the hour. Damien Duff added a second and Keith Fahey rounded off a miserable night for Wales with a late free-kick.

The England clash will be a full-blooded encounter and Bolton's Ricketts is convinced Wales have the quality to trouble their rivals. The 29-year-old said: "I'm looking forward to marking Wayne Rooney again if that's how it pans out. Yes it's a massive game, but it is in Cardiff and, speaking for myself, I can't wait. It's a new regime, new ideas and we are looking to progress.

"He's (Speed] got a backroom staff with excellent credentials so it's a chance to learn and improve both as an individual and as a team.

"We know what to expect from them and we respect them as players, but that doesn't mean you can't get stuck in."

Speed will name a permanent captain before the England game with Bellamy likely to stand down. The talismanic striker rarely features outside of competitive fixtures as he manages a long-term knee condition. The 31-year-old, who is on a season-long loan with Cardiff from Manchester City, scored for his club last weekend and travelled to Dublin with the squad but was not available to train or play.