Villa's Milner defends England performance against Brazil

James Milner is refusing to be overly disappointed at England's 1-0 defeat to Brazil in Qatar, denying there is a wide gulf in class between the two countries.

The 23-year-old Aston Villa midfielder made his first start for his country after five successive substitute.

"Is there a significant gap between Brazil and England? I don't think so," he said.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game. But it's a learning curve. We can play better than that and keep the ball better but you've got to make sure we learn from that game and take what we can from it.

"I think we had chances as well. It is about learning from these games and maybe being a bit more patient."

A host of injuries forced manager Fabio Capello to play numerous squad players in Doha and Milner said it was a welcome learning experience for the emerging players.

He added: "Do you sense the strength in depth is not there? I don't know about that.

"We played Brazil and lost 1-0 so it is a chance for other players to come in and prove what they could do.

"Was it a worthwhile exercise? I think so. It is important you gain these experiences and play different sorts of teams going into the World Cup.

"I think it was a valuable experience and as long as we have learned, it was a good thing."