Sir Bobby Charlton: 'England won't win 2014 World Cup'

Sir Bobby Charlton has said that England will not win the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

The 1966 World Cup winner with the Three Lions made the remarks in a foreword to a new book titled England Centurions.

"They haven't got a lot of top quality players to choose from and, because of that, you must feel it is going to be difficult to win things," said Charlton. "You cannot see it happening in Brazil at the next World Cup, for instance.

"Perhaps, if the right group of players come together and stay together for a while and gel into a team, with the right manager, then perhaps it might happen, but I have to be honest and say it's a way off.

"Since the European Union and the influx of so many foreign players, there is a definite shortage of English players from which the England manager can select, it has become far more difficult. I feel sorry for the England manager, whoever he is, as he simply doesn't have enough players to choose from."

England will begin their World Cup qualifying campaign under Roy Hodgson with an away game against Moldova in Group H on Friday.