Arsenal and England winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has said that scoring against Brazil at the Maracana Stadium in the summer has fuelled his desire to return to the country for the World Cup in June.
The 20-year-old has been sidelined with a knee injury since the Gunners' opening day 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa in August, with the youngster said to be slated for a 2014 return
Nevertheless, Oxlade-Chamberlain, who found the net in the Three Lions' 2-2 draw with the Selecao in Rio six months ago, said that he is driven to make Roy Hodgson's 23-man squad by his memories of the atmosphere inside the stadium.
Talking to The Express, the former Southampton starlet said: "It was a real eye-opener to see how much they love football in Brazil.
"You hear about that - but it's not until you see it first-hand how they live and breathe football and play on the beach that you really understand. Scoring the goal for 1-1 at the Maracana last summer, having come on as a substitute, is a great memory.
"It was the inspiration for the whole team and for me personally to play there. Everybody wants to be in a World Cup in Brazil. The prospect of doing that is a motivation for me and I have to believe I can get there."
England were drawn alongside Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica in Group D for the competition at the draw on Friday.
Shane Callaghan
