FIGHTING TALK: Rooney has hit back at critics

The 30-year-old captain made his surprising assertion yesterday, just as Leonid Slutsky's side were beaten 2-1 by Slovakia to go bottom of Group B.

England kept up their miserable record in opening matches at major tournaments on Saturday with a 1-1 with Russia to make it just four wins from their 19 opening matches since 1966.

But on the eve of their Battle of Britain showdown with table-topping Wales in Lens today, Rooney was looking on the bright side.

"If we perform the way we did it will be difficult not just for Wales, but for any team to stop us," said the Manchester United star.

"We've got a lot of good players - they've got some good players."

"I imagine we will have a lot of the ball and we will have to work very hard to try to break them down."

To be fair to Rooney - who will again be in central midfield today - England did perform well in Marseille.

Of their 15 shots, five were on target although only Eric Dier's free-kick found the back of the net.

But a late second half slump alowed Russia an added-time equaliser making it depressingly similar to all three group games in the World Cup two years ago, where Hodgson’s men never looked like equalising in the latter stages against Italy or Uruguay or scoring at all in the dismal goalless draw with Costa Rica.

Rooney's comments yesterday smacked of exactly what Wales superstar Gareth Bale accused England of.

"They big themselves up before they’ve won anything," he said in one of his many digs in the last few days.

Under Hodgson, England have managed just two victories in eight tournament games since Euro 2012.

In the last six - stretching to more than nine-and-a-half hours of football - they have scored just four goals.

But Hodgson bristled when this record was brought up yesterday.