Sunderland defender Anton Ferdinand is backing two of his former England U21 teammates to have big World Cups.

Ferdinand is confident new heroes will emerge for England in South Africa.

He told safc.com: "There's a lot of hidden gems. Whenever Aaron Lennon plays for England he plays well, while James Milner's had a great season and has a chance of doing well over there.

"Then there's people like Rooney, who is an exceptional talent; one of the best in the world. These are the kind of games he will thrive on."