Former England defender Rio Ferdinand has said he believes coach Roy Hodgson was right to rotate his squad for the 0-0 Euro 2016 group stage draw with Slovakia.
Hodgson opted to make six changes for the final group game, with players left out including captain Wayne Rooney, who later came on as a substitute.
Ex-Manchester United star Ferdinand, writing in his column for the Sunday Times, said: "In every tournament I played for England, when I got to the knockout stages I felt I was running on empty, or on a half tank at most.
"What that creates, as well as physical difficulty, is a little bit of fear -- because you don't like getting into that zone where you feel uncomfortable.
"In all my tournaments, if I could have had a bit of rest I would have been thankful. The English season is so much more gruelling than in other countries.
"So I agreed with Roy Hodgson's decision to rest players against Slovakia. I believe Hodgson did it with the best intentions. The rest would have been welcomed by everyone."
The comments come after fellow ex-international Steven Gerrard warned that England must pace themselves at the European Championship if they are to avoid a repeat of past tournaments in which he believes they have been burnt out by the quarterfinal stage.
Ferdinand said he believed "you have to change players around" but added: "That rest has got to pay off."
He added that he believed the problem confronting Hodgson was how to ensure his side scored more goals.
"They have been great at getting to the final third, really dictating and dominating every game," he wrote.
"But it's about having that extra bit of composure and finesse to execute at the end of all your good work. England just haven't had that."
He said he would opt to play Harry Kane and Daniel Sturridge up front against Iceland on Monday, adding that he believed the game would suit "someone with a little bit of class, who can unlock the door with a piece of composure, and Sturridge has the guile, the ability."
He said Kane "would work the centre-backs, provide a focal point in the middle and be in the six-yard box when the ball is fired across."
And Ferdinand said he would also consider Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, explaining: "He does something a lot of players no longer do: runs without the ball.
"When someone passes the ball and doesn't stand still but keeps running towards goal that's a problem. Rashford is refreshing."