ROY DONE GOOD ... Hodgson led England to winners of Group D

It was not the greatest England performance but it doesn’t matter. We won and we’re through and it is one in the eye for all the Three Lions doubters and haters out there.

I’ve had weeks and weeks of people coming up and telling me we would be on the first plane home and wouldn’t even make it through the group. Where are those people now?

They are all skulking in the woodwork waiting until England do get knocked out and then they’ll come out and revel in our demise.

But now they have gone into hiding because England have proved many people wrong by getting through to the quarter-finals.

It’s Italy next, can we beat them?

Of course we can. They’ll be thinking they can beat us as well but I am confident about playing them.

Mind you, I would have been confident even if we had finished second in the group and faced Spain.

We are at the stage now where every game is tough.

We can beat Italy — but we have to play better than we did last night.

In what areas do we need to improve?

We have to start getting behind the defence more and putting in more crosses.

We have shown in our opening three games that when we do that we are a real threat and can score goals.

It is good to be resilient but it is not enough on its own.

We need to create chances as well.

We could also do with the same officials after Ukraine’s ‘goal’ couldn’t we?

You’re not kidding. We got lucky there.

The decision was a disgrace. What was the fifth official doing? How did he miss that? It was about a yard over the line. Still, it happened to us with Frank Lampard’s shot at the World Cup in South Africa two years ago, so maybe these things do even themselves out after all.

What did you make of Wayne Rooney's display?

He was a bit off the pace and understandably so, having not played for so long.

But there was no question of leaving him out. He is one of our best players and you have to play him.

He missed a sitter in the first half but atoned by being in the right place at the right time for the winner.

That game and that goal will have done him the world of good and hopefully he will only get stronger from now on.

Who else impressed you in the England team?

I have to say I thought Steven Gerrard was outstanding. The skipper led by example in one of his best games in recent years for England.

He seemed to be everywhere on the pitch and even though we had to dig in, he still influenced his team-mates around him.

Pushing Stevie G close for the man of the match was John Terry. The Chelsea captain rolled back the years with a warrior-type performance in defence and his perseverance and never-say-die attitude was rewarded with the luck he had for his goal-line ‘clearance’.

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