Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has hailed the mentality of English players.

He is a huge admirer of English players, dismissing the idea that failure at international level is down to a lack of technical ability compared with players from other countries.

"That's not true," he told the Daily Mail. "Absolutely not. Technically they are fantastic. Tactically too. And their character. Their professionalism.

"Gattuso was a great professional for me, but it is rare to find players like him in Italy.

"Here, I don't know if I am lucky but Ashley Cole, Lampard, John Terry, as professionals on the training pitch, in matches, they are fantastic. When they are on the pitch. 100 per cent. Always. And sometimes that can be a risk. Sometimes you need to take a rest. Back off. But they never do. They are very professional.

"Brazilian players, for example, are totally different. They like to joke around in training. It can be difficult to maintain their focus. For me there is a time to be serious and a time to joke.

"The problem for the national team is not tactical. It is not Capello.

"I was surprised by the World Cup, because, really, the England team have top players. Ashley Cole, Terry, Ferdinand, Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney. They are top players. It was a strange World Cup. I don't know the reason. But, as I said, the problem was not tactics because I know Capello.

"I have never managed an international team but one of the most important things has to be personality and courage, because you don't have time to build a shape the way you can at a club. Physically you have to be good. I think during the World Cup a lot of the England players were not 100 per cent. Rooney for instance."