Wayne Rooney and Roy Hodgson were asked about Wales' pre-match comments

Roy Hodgson says England should be "ashamed" if they allow Wales' pre-match barbs to affect their performance on Thursday.

Hodgson has been forced to field repeated questions in recent days about Gareth Bale's claim that Wales have more pride and passion than their English rivals.

Bale also suggested with a smile on Tuesday that no England player would get in the Wales side, while team-mate Aaron Ramsey is on record saying Chris Coleman has the better team going into the Group B meeting in Lens.

But Hodgson, addressing the media on the eve of the game, said all the talk would count for nothing come kick-off.

"I'm surprised people focusing so much on talking, and if we were really taking seriously what people are saying or reported to be saying or allowed it any way to affect concentration, we would be ashamed of ourselves.

"I'm surprised the questions are coming our way because talk is talk and action on the field is action on the field."

Asked how many Wales players would get in England's side, he said: "I think that's a question journalists like yourself and maybe many a fan will be asking, but as a coach I've never once considered which other players would get in our team, it's a matter of total disinterest to me.

"I'll leave you to come up with the answer and you can have a quiz between yourselves, we are here today doing our job for UEFA talking about the game. I'll leave that question with you."

Wayne Rooney, sitting alongside, echoed his manager saying: "You'll have to ask what they mean by comments, it's them who's come out with them, we're just focusing on the game."

And the pair were equally reluctant to discuss England's selection options for Thursday, Hodgson saying: "I was very satisfied [with the team against Russia] and have also been satisfied with the other players in training and the two who came on against Russia.

"Options are open to me and I'm grateful we have so many good players available. People will find out tomorrow night what the decision is."

Whatever he decides Hodgson concedes it is unlikely to come as a major shock to his opposite number, and the England boss is not expecting Coleman to rip up the blueprint that secured a first major finals appearance in 58 years.

"I think they will play like they have been playing for quite a long period of time now with Chris Coleman," he said. "They've been playing very successfully that way too.

"We are not anticipating that there will be any vast changes in their style of play or in the personnel that they've been using. I don't think we'll be surprised particularly by either their line-up or what they try to do when they've got the ball or when they don't have the ball.

"We might not be able to spring surprises either as they know our players and they know the type of football that we play."