Does England's midfield hold the key to World Cup success

Legends of The Game: Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard will be missed once they hang up their boots

The first World Cup match is a long way from kick off but people are already speculating the winners. The favorites are Brazil, Spain and Germany but people are forgetting one team which is just beginning to shed its image as an underdog and that is England.

England have lifted football’s most prestigious prize just once in 1966, the year that they hosted it, and it has eluded them since then. They have either got knocked out in the round of 16 or in the semi-finals, their worst performance coming in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa where they finished 13th.

In spite of the disappointments there is a silver lining on the horizon with the team looking sharp and Roy Hodgson getting his decisions right so far. They topped their group with convincing wins and if such performance continues their journey in Brazil will be a delight.

One area that I expect huge returns from is their midfielders. The Three Lions have a wealth of options in the center of the park with stalwarts like Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, technical genius Michael Carrick and young blood like Jack Wilshere and Andros Townsend.

The dynamic duo of Lampard and Gerrard have always contributed goals for the Three Lions with a total of 50 goals contributed by them. The strikers thrive because of the accurate passing adopted by them. Free-kick specialist Steven Gerrard has helped find the back of the net many times while spot-kick expert Frank Lampard has rarely missed the target. The combined prowess of Lampard and Gerrard will be something to look out for in 2014.

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has also shown that he is no pushover with many critics considering his 2012-2013 season as his best performance in a United shirt. The former Tottenham man is one of the most under-rated midfielders of out times, his reading of the game is incredible. Carrick, who is capped just 31 times for England, will undoubtedly relish his chance to play in the World Cup and give it his all.

A recce of England’s midfield would be incomplete without mentioning the spectacular Jack Wilshere. The Arsenal player is shown flashes of his potential with his recent stunner against Norwich. The scary part is that Wilshere is only beginning to scratch the surface. The 21-year-old has often been compared to a Spanish player with his magnificent style of play. While he has not scored a goal for the Three Lions yet, it will be no surprise to see his name on the score sheet in the near future. While Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, who will most likely play in their final World Cup next year, will surely be missed Wilshere is more than capable of filling the void left by the players when they hang up their boots. Wilshere will light up Rio when he plays next year.

Another player who deserves a mention is Andros Townsend. The Tottenham lad had a memorable goal-scoring debut against Montenegro. The speedy winger was involved in the first goal and scored the third goal superbly in England’s 4-1 victory. The 22-year-old proved that he is not a one-time wonder with a spectacular performance against Poland. Townsend is sure to excel at the World Cup, with his magnificent runs and clinical finishing. He made a nuisance of himself to the Montenegro and Poland defenses and will sure help England on the attacking front in Brazil.

Upcoming players Nick Powell, Jesse Lingard, Wilfried Zaha, Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley and Will Hughes will surely make a name for themselves in the future. With superstars like these England’s World Cup winning dream will soon become a reality.