"Players like David Beckham and Michael Owen are idolised in Japan and that will also work in our favour. I am sure our own fans will be out there in numbers and the atmosphere should be fantastic."

And the experienced Manchester United defender is also confident that England will be abe to progress from Group F despite the high calibre of the opposition they are due to face.

"I remember having a similar feeling when United were drawn against Barcelona and Inter Milan in the Champions League a few years ago and that group was nicknamed the Group Of Death also," he recalled.

"The mountain you face looks enormous, but when the time comes you know you have to be at your best, otherwise quite simply you lose. That draw brought the best out of United and we went through.

"The situation with England is exactly the same. When we play Sweden in Saitama on June 2 we will have to be at our best against a team that our record against is not all that good. We then face Argentina in Sapporo and there is no doubt this will be billed as the best game of the Group Stage of the tournament.

"The hype has already started and it will build as we get nearer the day. If we are on top of our game then we have nothing to fear and if we get a result it will do our confidence a world of good for the final group game against Nigeria.

"It's a tough group and not one I would have picked, but I bet if you speak to the Argentina, Sweden and Nigeria players they would say that they would not have wanted England in their group either."