Football
ESPN staff 9y

England won't take Estonia challenge lightly, Roy Hodgson insists

England coach Roy Hodgson has said Spain's shock defeat to Slovakia on Thursday shows that no international matches should be taken likely.

Hodgson, preparing his team for a Euro 2016 qualifier against Estonia in Tallin on Sunday, said England, who have already won qualifiers against Switzerland and San Marino, should be on their guard against the world's 81st-ranked team.

And he added that Spain's 2-1 away defeat and Albania's 1-0 win in Portugal last month were part of a trend of surprises.

"These results are happening more and more," he told a news conference. "Maybe 20 or 30 years ago a game between an England and Estonia or Luxembourg would be an easy game.

"But we all realise now it will only be an easy game if you play well enough to make it an easy game, and we won't be taking this one lightly."

He said he wanted England to score early, forcing the home side to attack and leaving gaps for his players to "build on their necessity to attack you."

And he stressed that he was not yet considering giving Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling -- who played only the first half of the San Marino game -- a break.

Meanwhile, skipper Wayne Rooney said his closeness to Sir Bobby Charlton's record 49 goals for England was not coming into his thinking.

Rooney scored from the spot in the 5-0 win against San Marino at Wembley on Tuesday and needs seven more goals to equal that total.

But he told reporters: "There are records there in front of me, and if they come then great. But it is not something I am looking at in particular. I am looking at qualifying for the European Championships with England."

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