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England squad assembles

Image: Roy Hodgson: Backed by Sir Trevor Brooking after gathering squad together

Sir Trevor Brooking has given his backing to Roy Hodgson after most of the England squad gathered together for the first time ahead of Euro 2012.

Brooking backs Hodgson to improve performance level

Roy Hodgson has gathered together most of his England squad for the first time ahead of Euro 2012 and Sir Trevor Brooking hopes the new-look coaching team will help to deliver an improved tournament showing. The Chelsea contingent of John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Gary Cahill - plus standby player Daniel Sturridge - have been given extra time off after the club's UEFA Champions League heroics. They will not report for duty until next Tuesday when England will be relocated in their accustomed Hertfordshire base ahead of the home clash with Belgium at Wembley on 2nd June. But the rest of the squad have met up at a hotel in Manchester ahead of Saturday's friendly with Norway, which Brooking says will provide a lot of the fringe players with an opportunity to stake a claim. Brooking, the FA's director of football development, was one of the men who picked Hodgson to replace Fabio Capello as England manager. And he believes there is a responsibility on everyone connected with England to make sure they perform better than at recent tournaments. "By the time the tournament comes everyone will know what is expected of them," he told Sky Sports News. "I think, more than anything, it is to try and feel that the side has played well and done themselves justice. "That probably hasn't been the case the last two or three tournaments. "It is a tough group initially and when you get to the knockout stage, who knows? "But it is about trying to get the level of performances better than perhaps they have been at previous tournaments."

Direct approach

Speaking about how Hodgson would differ to Capello, Brooking added: "I know he has spoken to a lot of the players and he appears to like a more direct approach, whereas Fabio was a little bit more detached. "I am sure it will be different and we will only find that out now they are joining together." Gary Neville has been brought on board as part of Hodgson's coaching team for Euro 2012 and Brooking believes it is a good appointment. "I think Roy was wanting to have that sort of person who had been with the playing group in a more recent time," he said. "He will know quite a few of the players, he has been to tournaments and I think will be a really good buffer during the tournament. "I know he is looking forward to it and he won't hold back when it comes to putting forward ideas, so I think that will be really important."

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