England matchwinner Wayne Rooney has claimed that the Three Lions squad are "ready for the challenges ahead" after securing their place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2012.
The 26-year-old Manchester United forward headed home the only goal of the game as Roy Hodgson's men overcame co-hosts Ukraine in tonight's Group D decider in Donetsk.
Italy will be England's opponents in the last eight on Sunday, and Rooney is confident that the squad will be ready for the test.
He said: "We're delighted with the win and to score was great. I haven't scored in a major tournament for a while. But the whole team were fantastic and stuck in at times.
"We know our quality and what we are capable of. We've worked really hard on our tactical play. It is going well at the minute. We have an extra day's rest now and hopefully we'll come back fresh. The main thing was to get through the group.
"It will be a difficult game against Italy but we need to be confident in ourselves. Whether anyone expects us to do well or not we have a belief and we are ready for the challenges ahead."
England have not beaten Italy in their last three attempts.
Robert Summerscales
