England Players Can Be Proud Thanks To Fabio Capello - Frank Lampard

England midfielder Frank Lampard has maintained that manager Fabio Capello is the cause behind the Three Lions' renewed self-belief.

The confidence among players in the national team had hit a new low following the failure to qualify for the European Championships in 2008 under Steve McClaren.

However, the former Real Madrid boss' appointment has galvanised the Three Lions squad and after a stellar World Cup qualifying campaign, confidence is now sky-high going to South Africa.

A more solid looking team recently registered a 3-1 victory over Mexico at Wembley and now the Chelsea goal-ace believes they are heading to football's biggest event with their heads held high.

"We are going into this World Cup with a very good mindset, especially when you compare where we are to where we were," Lampard told the Daily Mirror.

"There was a time when we played for England when we didn't believe we could beat anybody, almost. Now there is a real belief when we run out on to the pitch.

"We were a group of individuals who were not doing what we were capable of doing but he [Fabio Capello] brought us into line from the start."

England are in Group C, and will play USA, Algeria and Slovenia in the hope of booking a place in the knockout stage of the showpiece event in South Africa.

No Tension Between England Pair Rio Ferdinand And John Terry

England captain Rio Ferdinand has revealed there will be no hard feelings from his defensive partner John Terry should he lift the World Cup this summer.

Former Three Lions striker Ian Wright indicated in his column for The Sun that there would be tension between ex-skipper Terry and Ferdinand, if the Manchester United man steered England to glory in South Africa.

Yet Ferdinand is adamant being part of the side to win football’s biggest prize for 44-years would make up for any disappointment the Chelsea captain may harbour.

"That is not a source of tension. When you win the World Cup, I don't care who actually lifts the World Cup," Ferdinand told reporters at a press conference ahead of Sunday's match with Japan.

"As long as I get to say I've got a medal around my neck that says I've lifted the World Cup, then great.

"If Wrighty [Ian Wright] feels he'd feel like that, which is down to him. I am sure JT [John Terry] wouldn't care who lifted the World Cup.

“I wouldn't care because you would go down in history as one of the best teams, one of the best players who has played for your country.

"The players who won it [the World Cup] in 1966 are still being wheeled out to do appearances because it is such a big thing and means so much to this country."

Terry was stripped of the captain's armband by manager Fabio Capello when news of his off-field antics were revealed.

Manchester United centre-back Ferdinand was handed the responsibility, although he confessed it was a burden he was happy to shoulder.

"I feel comfortable as captain. I'm one of the experienced lads, I've been in the squad for years," he added.

"All the young lads know me and all the senior lads have grown up with me.

"If there is something to be said in the changing room I've never been afraid to speak my mind on anything, anywhere. It is the same as being captain.

"I don't really behave differently. You get more people coming to you saying 'Can you ask about this?' or 'What you think about this?', but I don't look upon it as a pressure.

"It is part of the job and you've got to deal with it.

"I do like the responsibility. It is nice. Everyone wants to grow up wanting to be the captain of their club.

"This is England and there is no prouder accolade than to be captain of your country. But it won't mean as much if we weren't to win anything."

Manchester United And Chelsea Monitoring Atletico Madrid Stopper David De Gea

Manchester United and Chelsea are both tracking the development of Atletico Madrid’s emerging shot-stopper David de Gea, according to reports from the English press.

The Daily Mirror comments that the 19-year old, who was an integral figure in Los Colchoneros’ Europa League triumph, is being watched by the Premier League giants, who are preparing an offer to prise him from the Vicente Calderon.

It is understood that the La Liga side would command a fee in the region of €30m for De Gea, who was selected for Spain coach Vicente del Bosque’s provisional 30-man squad for the World Cup in South Africa.

Both English sides have received glowing scouting reports on the young goalkeeper, who burst onto the scene this season, displacing Sergio Asenjo as Atletico Madrid’s first choice midway through the campaign.

However, a stumbling block may be the excessive transfer fee, which may prompt both sides to search for alternative targets as they build for next season.

Manchester United keeper Edwin van der Sar recently signed a one-year contract extension, while Petr Cech remains Chelsea’s number one.

Buck - No Real Deal For Lampard

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck insists there is 'no chance' Jose Mourinho will take Frank Lampard to Real Madrid.

Former Blues boss Mourinho is reportedly targeting 31-year-old Lampard as a potential signing when he takes over at the Bernabeu next week.

Star midfielder Lampard enjoyed a good relationship with the Portuguese boss during his time at Stamford Bridge, but Buck is adamant the England international is 'going nowhere'.

"Lampard is a great player," Buck told the Daily Star Sunday.

"But you can't possibly imagine Frank Lampard wearing anything other than the Chelsea shirt."

Jose Mourinho May Offer Kaka In Exchange For Frank Lampard And Ashley Cole

Chelsea face a fight to keep their Double-winning team together this week as former manager Jose Mourinho intensifies his efforts to recruit Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole for Real Madrid.

Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes, who is negotiating transfers for the Spanish club, is planning to visit London in a bid to persuade Chelsea to allow the England pair to leave.

Chelsea will do their utmost to retain Lampard and Cole, who signed four-year contracts in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

Real Madrid will raise the possibility of a player-exchange, with Brazil superstar Kaka, who worked with Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti at AC Milan, and Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain in the frame.

Ancelotti is consulting his bosses over the make-up of his team for next season and while he is understood to be considering changes to his backroom staff, with Ray Wilkins' future as assistant coach under review, he would be reluctant to lose two such crucial players.

Mourinho, who left Chelsea in 2007, is to be installed as Real Madrid manager tomorrow following last Saturday's triumph in the Champions League with Inter Milan. He will want a number of his former players around him at what promises to be his most testing role to date in transforming Real after two years without a trophy.

He is already negotiating to take Inter Milan right-back Maicon to the club but wants to add a left-back and a midfielder. Cole is understood to be ready to consider a move after his pop star wife Cheryl filed for divorce last week, although Real may baulk at improving his wages of £120,000 a week and are tracking Lazio's Aleksander Kolovov as a contingency.

Lampard would find it difficult to resist the lure of rejoining former mentor Mourinho.

However, neither Ancelotti nor Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich would want to lose such an iconic player, who signed his current four-year deal when Mourinho attempted to recruit him for Inter Milan.

Lampard is 32 next month and Mourinho's interest represents his final chance to make the move abroad which he has always said he would like to experience before his career ends.

Asian Star Search On The Way

The first day of Chelsea's groundbreaking search for an Asian Soccer Star kicked off on Saturday with two winners in the Under 8 and Under 9 age groups.

Local boy Adam Aziz was the overall winner of the U9s whilst Kai Bhullar from Norwich was victorious in the U8s

Both boys will join the club's Academy for their summer trials and will hope to repeat last year's winners who have gone on to play for professional academies

Aziz was overjoyed with his result.

'I've been paying for four years, the trials were quite hard but I'm really happy,' he saud.

His mother Shamim said, 'I'm really proud of my son and all the effort he's put in. I've been out in different weathers all through the season and parents should be getting their boys out there.'

Bhullar's father Rajpreet was delighted with the result.

'I'm extremely proud - football is his [Kai's] life and we're really happy that all the hard work has paid off.'

Internationals: Stoch Selected In Warm Up

Miroslav Stoch was the one Chelsea player in World Cup warm-up action on Saturday.

He played for the first half of a 1-1 draw for Slovakia against Cameroon in Austria and had a big part in Kamil Kopunek's fifth-minute opener, receiving a pass, turning well inside the area and laying the ball back for a 25-yard finish.

Slovakia, who will be the only team appearing for a first time in the World Cup Finals, conceded the equalizer on 82 minutes.

Serbia were in action on the same day in the same stadium in a match affected by crowd trouble, however Branislav Ivanovic was not involved. Serbia went down to World Cup outsiders New Zealand by a single goal following a mistake from Nemanja Vidic.

On Sunday, John Terry, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard started for England against Japan in Austria, while Joe Cole was on the bench.

Also in action are France against Tunisia, Ivory Coast against Paraguay and Nigeria versus Colombia at Milton Keynes.

The Nigerian FA have reported: 'John Mikel Obi arrived at the camp Friday morning after completing his rehabilitation exercises with medics of Chelsea.'

Also on Sunday England Under-17s aim to become European champions by beating Spain in Liechtenstein. Chelsea Academy products Josh McEachran and Nathaniel Chalobah have played a big part in the team reaching the final.