England skipper David Beckham has issued a rallying call to his team-mates

England skipper David Beckham has issued a rallying call to his team-mates, insisting England are capable of winning the 2004 European Championships.

Becks has often spoken of his belief in the current squad to come up with the goods in a major championship and now he feels the time is right for Sven-Goran Eriksson's squad to flourish and collect some silverware.

Shortly after the squad arrived in Bratislava, Beckham held a press conference and said: ``We have spoken about it in the past where we have said we can win competitions and do well in competitions - and never have done.

``The World Cup was successful in some ways but we were all disappointed because we all realise it was a great chance for us and, with the way we were playing, it was a missed chance.

``We have to forget about that. It is in the past and we've not said one thing about the World Cup apart from filling in the manager's questionnaire about it when we met up last month for the Portugal game.

``The time has come now where we can't keep talking about winning things. We've got to go out and do the business - and that starts on Saturday against Slovakia.

``Do you think we're good enough to win the European Championships? I do. I really believe we were good enough to win the World Cup. That's the belief I have in the players that are in the squad.

``You've got to have that belief in teams you play in and I have the belief in the team. I believe these players can do something in a competition and go all the way but we have to deliver.''

Beckham trained for the first time yesterday and he will be ready for Saturday's encounter. But more importantly he believes he is getting back to the fitness levels which evaded him at the World Cup. And he has welcomed the return on all cylinders of Liverpool duo Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen.

Becks said: ``I would have loved to have gone into the World Cup 100% fit but it was not possible. I got to a fitness level where I felt I was not letting anyone down. But now I am getting back to the fitness level I would have liked to have had in Japan.

``There is good healthy competition in the squad and there are players that can come in and do a job very well but it's nice to see Michael fit and scoring again - when there was supposedly a crisis - and Steven playing well.

"Me? I feel good. I'm ready for Saturday..the whole team is."