England will be brave and risk defeat — Hodgson

LONDON –– England manager Roy Hodgson has promised to be brave, risk defeat and allow his talented young players to express themselves at the World Cup in Brazil in June.

Under his predecessor Fabio Capello, England were sterile and defensive at the previous edition in South Africa four years ago before being knocked out by Germany in the last 16.

"The way we will play in Brazil will be a continuation of the way we have been trying to play over the last year or so," Hodgson told Talksport Radio on Friday.

"If you take the front players who played in the last game, Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck, and add them to people like Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard, just to name five players off the top of my head, they have great technical ability, pace and athleticism.

"We will be brave and we will believe in ourselves and we will risk defeat. We won't try and sneak our way through the games," Hodgson added.

"With the type of players we've got that wouldn't suit us. I think we've got to allow the players to express themselves in the same way as you see them express themselves in the Premier League."

England have been drawn against Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica in World Cup Group D.

Hodgson also said veteran defender Ashley Cole's lack of first-team football at Chelsea would not affect his chance of being picked in the World Cup squad.

The 33-year-old Cole, England's most-capped fullback with 107 appearances, has lost his place to Spanish international Cesar Azpilicueta at Stamford Bridge this season.

"It does concern me," said Hodgson. "If we go back to England teams 10 years ago it would have been unthinkable for anybody to play who wasn't a guaranteed starter at his club.

"We've had to accept that over the last two or three years there has been an amazing amount of talent coming into the Premier League from abroad.

"It's been unfortunate for Ashley this season but I know him well enough so that won't necessarily affect my decision making when it comes to selecting the team," Hodgson added.

"It's one of the responsibilities as national team manager to pick who you think are the best players, irrespective of where they play or how much they play."