Brett Emerton is confident in the ability of his Australian team mates ahead of the clash with England at Upton Park in February, declaring: ``We have what it takes to beat them.''

The versatile Feyenoord midfielder, who has been linked with Newcastle and Leeds, insisted Australia have the belief to defeat the World Cup quarter-finalists.

"We are going there to win," Emerton told Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph.  "We have the players to do it, the self-belief and the ability."

Australia, ranked 47th in the world, have qualified for just one World Cup, back in 1974, and the nation has endured a host of agonising exits in qualifiers ever since, including losing to Uruguay in the last hurdle before Japan and South Korea 2002.

Emerton sees the February friendly as an opportunity to prove the country's football credentials and give the sport a welcome boost back home.

"We know what it would mean to the game's image back home to win and we'll be taking this friendly very seriously," he said. "I'm sure England will too. After the disappointment of missing out on the last World Cup it's a chance for us to prove something.

"England are a great team but that won't worry us at all. We have a good mix of young players coming through like Lucas Neill (Blackburn Rovers) and Marco Bresciano (Parma), Vince Grella (Empoli) and some experienced ones also.

"It will be a great indication of where we're at and where we're going. A few people might be quite surprised if they haven't seen us play before how well we perform."

Leeds pair Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell are likely to play, with Rangers' Craig Moore and Middlesbrough's Tony Vidmar among a host of European-based Australians sure to come into coach Frank Farina's reckoning.

Emerton has hinted at his desire to join Kewell and Viduka in the Premiership, with Newcastle linked with a move for him when the transfer window reopens in January.

"I love the way the game is played in England, the way it flows and the fact you are encouraged to take players on," he said. "That's my game."