Liverpool legend Alan Hansen has slammed the technical ability of England's players.

Hansen wrote in the Telegraph: "Youngsters today have many more distractions than football, but the reality is that there is now an issue with the technical qualities of English players.

"If you look at the midfielders in England's 1982 World Cup squad, you see the likes of Trevor Brooking, Glenn Hoddle and Terry McDermott, and also Bryan Robson and Ray Wilkins.

"Technically, they would all rate as 10 out of 10 and all of them were much better, in terms of technique, than the players available to England today.

"Technique is clearly a problem and the possession stats from Euro 2012, when England were routinely out-passed by their opponents, highlighted the lack of players comfortable on the ball."