England vs Russia: 'We'll live with the fact it's been 50 years since we won a tournament,' says Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson has challenged England’s emerging players to go into tonight’s Euro 2016 opener against Russia believing they can end the country’s fifty year wait for glory at a major tournament.

Two years after suffering group stage elimination at the 2014 World Cup, returning from Brazil without a victory in three games, England will have their youngest squad since the 1958 World Cup in France.

But despite the inexperience of his team, which is set to include youngsters such as Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling against the Russians in Marseille’s Stade Velodrome, Hodgson insists they are good enough and bold enough to shed the burden of England’s international failures – if they believe in their own ability to succeed.

“All we can do is hope that the players approach this tournament with as much relaxation and as relaxed an attitude as possible,” Hodgson said. “We know these players can play football, we see it at their clubs.

“My fear as a coach would be that the players take anxiety on to the field, that they're weighed down when they go out and play and don't play as well as they like, imagining the headlines.

“So we try and encourage them to believe in themselves, go out and play the football we've been trying to play, and we'll see what it brings.

“We hope it brings some good moments and the people back home like what they see.

“You can't wipe the slate clean, but we'll live with the fact it's been 50 years since we won a tournament and 20 since we reached a semi-final.”

Eleven of Hodgson’s squad will embark on their first major tournament in France, with eighteen-year-old Marcus Rashford twelve years younger than the oldest member, Wayne Rooney.

But Hodgson is confident that the novelty of playing on the big stage for the first time can give his young players and England an edge.

“That we've got qualities, no doubt about that,” Hodgson said. “The fact we're relatively inexperienced, a young team in age and caps, can't be seen as an advantage per se, but the lack of experience that we have in the team is counter-acted in some way by the youth, energy and enthusiasm.

“It’s a group of players keen to do well. They, I'm sure, will want to give the very best of themselves.

“They've prepared extremely well and I can't ask any more of them. I can only guide them along the way and try and succeed.

“You never know what fates are going to befall you, but we'll try and be ready for everything.”

“It's great that people expect, hope and want England to do well. If things don't go exactly our way, I'd hope there'd be some sympathy or empathy shown.

“But we know what we can do. We have a team which, if we perform to our level, will make it difficult for any opponent.”

Hodgson, meanwhile, has admitted to speaking to Tottenham midfielder Alli to warn against being provoked by opponents in France.

The 20-year-old served a three-match suspension at the end of the Premier League season for punching West Bromwich Albion’s Claudio Yacob and was also involved in off-the-ball incidents during the Wembley friendly against Portugal last week.

Hodgson insists, however, that Alli is aware of the dangers of allowing his temper to be triggered at Euro 2016.

“It is a situation he faces each week,” Hodgson said. “People getting wound up.

“As far as I am concerned on Dele Alli if he is selected to play I will select him because he is Dele Alli.

“He obviously realises as much as anybody that he needs to be careful and that we want to finish the game with eleven men.

“That is his responsibility, but me making a big point of it could detract from his game.

“These are the delicate balances all coaches must go through with players who occasionally get a reputation for being easy to provoke.”

With England yet to win an opening fixture in any of their appearances at the European Championships, Hodgson admits that starting well tonight will set the tone – and a positive one – for the campaign.

“The sooner we can get into the rhythm of the competition the better for us,” Hodgson said. “The game can't come soon enough.

“We'll still be looking forward to the ones ahead regardless of what happens, but it would be sad to lose it.”