Beckham hails England spirit

England's team spirit could be the key to delivering World Cup success.

The Real Madrid midfielder has long since been an admirer of the camaraderie fostered under Sven Goran Eriksson's time at the helm and is confident that such togetherness in the camp bodes well for Germany.

While there has been criticism of late with regards to Eriksson and his episode with the fake sheikh, along with the Football Association's decision to announce his post-tournament departure, Beckham insists none of these side issues will cloud what the England team are trying to achieve.

Beckham is confident that everything will be in place to ensure England achieve optimum performances in Germany, with a blossoming team spirit holding the whole squad together.

''The team spirit is still very strong,'' Beckham told The Independent.

''In-fact, it's been the best since I started playing for my country.

''There are certain situations that have happened over the past year or two and the whole team sticks together, showing remarkable togetherness for a group with so many young players and just a few experienced internationals.

''It doesn't matter what manager comes in, the players will all stick together.''