The country have been eyeing up the next World Cup as our best chance of reclaiming the trophy - which has not been won by England since 1966.

And Thompson wants Sven to qualify in top spot of the Group Six qualification stage to stand the best chance of success in Germany.

England face Wales in October as they continue their World Cup countdown, and the FA Chairman believes Premiership football is the best preparation for the Three Lions players as they attempt to reach the 2006 tournament.

"On the playing side, I’d like to see England qualify as the top placed team in our group and then hopefully have a very successful World Cup," insists Thomson.

"This is the competition that way back we thought we could aim at winning. We have players at the right age with experience and more coming through. I think it’s the best opportunity that we’ve had for many years.

"It could be the last opportunity for a few of the established players to win a World Cup and we have some young talent coming through, a number of whom have established themselves as first choice in the team.

"We are seeing the Premiership providing the best football in the world and we have internationals from many different countries contributing to that. In some respects that may make it difficult for the manager of England but you can also say that those English players, who are breaking through into the first team of the top clubs, are of the very highest level.

"Our players are playing against the best in the world week in and week out and our national team can only benefit from that."

Football has a unique ability to unite the country - and Thompson is in little doubt that this time will be no different if we manager to qualify.

Poland currently head the group but England are favourites to top the league.

And if Sven guides us to Germany Thompson believes the atmosphere throughout England will be second to none.

"You only have to look back at the record of previous tournaments to see what an impact the England team has on this country," he explains. "Italia ’90 and Euro ‘96 both had a monumental affect. Italia ’90 was the catalyst for the football boom in the ‘90s and then Euro ‘96 electrified the country.

"Obviously most supporters have their club and want that club to do well, but it’s England which unifies the country and that’s important.

"We saw in the last World Cup, when matches were beamed back here at unusual times, people changed their whole schedule and their working hours to make sure they could watch the games and get behind the team. That is how deep relationship the England Team has with the public in this country."