Speaking exclusively in the July issue of FourFourTwo – out now – the prolific front-man says that England remind him of Spain sides from recent past.
“England are a bit like Spain were. They have always had good teams, but they have found it difficult in the big competitions.”
And just as Spain managed to emphatically shrug off the tag of perennial underachievers by winning the 2008 European Championships, Barcelona’s new €40 million signing believes that the time may have come for Fabio Capello’s men to end their 44-year wait for glory.
“England’s day will come won’t it? I think they have the perfect generation to make it to the final. They will be one of the most difficult teams to beat.”
However, despite recognising the strength of the Three Lions, Villa is adamant that Spain’s Pythagorean passing has the potential to triumph over England’s more direct, up-and-at-them approach to the beautiful game in South Africa.
“Our philosophy is that we must try and keep the ball. This is the first commandment for Spain. We need to continue as we have been. By doing that we, too, can reach the final.”
The full interview with Villa, and 31 other World Cup stars, including Kaka, Steven Gerrard and Lionel Messi, is in the July issue of FourFourTwo, out now.
By Jonathan Gilbert
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EXCLUSIVE:Gerrard - This World Cup may be my last
EXCLUSIVE:Messi - My favourite insect is a monkey!
EXCLUSIVE:De Rossi - Capello can lead England to glory
