England midfielder Jordan Henderson has insisted that there are plenty of positives to take out of the team's defeat to Italy at the World Cup.

The Three Lions were beaten in their opening match of the tournament as Mario Balotelli's second-half strike saw the Italians come away with a 2-1 victory.

Despite the negative result, Henderson is confident that England have what it takes to progress in Brazil.

"Everybody is disappointed, but I still think there are a lot of positives to come out of it," he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News. "Going forward, I thought we were brilliant, especially in the first half. I thought we counter-attacked really well and obviously got the goal.

"In the second half I thought we dominated with the ball, dominated with possession and penetrated with the passing and runs in behind, with a few chances. Like I say, it was disappointing but we gave it everything we had."

England are back in action on Thursday when they meet Uruguay in Sao Paulo.

Written by
Jack Prescott