Danny Mills has backed England young attacking duo of Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling to shine at the World Cup.
Speaking exclusively to TheFA.com, the former Three Lions defender singled out the Merseyside duo for high praise and said their inexperience at the top level of international football could actually work in their favour.
"Youthful experience sometimes can be a great thing," he said.
"You look at that with Sturridge this year – or with Sterling – they’re prepared to try things and have a go. And that’s the difference. It can pay off. I’m very very excited about the young players coming through."
Raheem Sterling has been 'exceptional' according to Mills
Roy Hodgson named his England squad on 12 May and among those included were World Cup novices Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Ross Barkley.
But Mills insisted the old adage of 'if they're good enough they're old enough' has never been more true.
"I think Sterling has been exceptional, the second half of the season especially," he added. "
He has really matured. Brendan Rogers has done a great job with him and he’s come into his own.
"He can play in so many different positions, he’s got pace – and that scares defenders to bits. No matter how good you are, pace scares you. Any defender will tell you that."
And for Ross Barkley - who ended his first full season in the Premier League with seven goals in 41 appearances - Mills was also full of praise, and said that the youngster's fearless attitude towards the game was evident in the closing weeks of the season.
Mills said Barkley will benefit from the 'inexperience of youth'
"His goal against Manchester City showed how inexperience can also work in a positive way," added the former Manchester City man. "When the ball comes back to him, a lot of senior players would have taken a touch and wanted time to think.
"He’s thought ‘do you know what, I’m good enough – I’m just going to smack this into the top corner’.
"And that’s what it does. He doesn’t have that burden or damage of having been there, done it and not quite made it."
Mills, who was 25 when he travelled to Korea and Japan with England for the 2002 World Cup, also said that as a defender, Luke Shaw may find it slightly harder to make his mark on the tournament at the tender age of 18.
"I went in 2002 and by some quarters of the press as a liability – because of my disciplinary record and everything else,". I think I proved a lot of people wrong, but I’d played three or four years in the Premier League at that stage.
"I’d played at U21s, I’d had European experience. I’d played an awful lot of football before I got involved internationally and I’d played against a lot of these players at club level
"You will always have the dilemma or whether you take experienced players, or whether you take youth for the future. In my opinion you always take a mixture, but you have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best."
England take on Peru at Wembley on 30 May in their final warm-up game on home soil before leaving for the World Cup.
