Peter Reid has hailed Roy Hodgson's start as England manager and believes that his side will beat Italy in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals.
The Three Lions beat Ukraine 1-0 on Tuesday and qualified for the last eight as the winners of Group D. They now meet the Azzurri in the the knockout stages after they finished runners-up in Group C behind Spain, and Reid thinks that England have a great chance of victory.
"I can see us turning the Italians over. We look really, really solid," Reid told talkSPORT.
"The spirit, the commitment of the English players has been really, really good. I see them smiling, enjoying playing, and enjoying training. Two years ago in South Africa I didn't see that.
"To temper that, I don't think we have played well yet but we have been efficient, hard to beat and, if we can step it up a gear, you never know. I think Rooney will get better. He needed that game [against Ukraine]."
Reid, who was capped 13 times by England, also praised the way Hodgson has started his tenure as the Three Lions boss.
"The thing I like about them is they don't look like conceding and they have got a bit of pace up front. And the manager, who has done fantastically well, has got players who can change things. He's got pace to bring on that can change and affect games. Not many teams have got what we have got.
"Five games he [Hodgson] has had - and I'm not saying it has been spectacular - but it has been professional, organised and if you want to win things you have to be hard to beat. We are hard to beat.
"We might not be technically the best but if you put that effort in and get that spirit you never know what can happen."
England meet Italy in the last eight of Euro 2012 on Sunday.
Matt Cotton
