FOOTBALLING thoughts turned briefly towards next summer at the weekend when the draw for Euro 2004 was made.

I am really looking forward to the tournament as I have got some tickets and am going to combine a holiday in Portugal with watching some games.

Hopefully I will have a good time and see plenty of England victories.

I don't think our group is too bad. The first game against France is obviously the big one and nobody will need any firing up for that.

The venue is probably equally as important as there could have been a lot of distractions and mayhem if it was being played in the Algarve.

Of our other two group opponments, Croatia have done well in previous World Cups and Switzerland are also capable of giving us a good game but you have got to expect to put those teams to one side. First of all, it is important to get off to a good start and get a decent result against France.

It is a definite advantage to play France first because both sides will be rusty but it will still be a decent test.

It is a very strong competition and the standard of the teams that will be there is best illustrated by the fact that Holland have had to come through the back door in the play-offs.

A lot of the European teams that did well in the World Cup were European, bar Brazil, and there will be an abundance of quality on show.

I do fancy England strongly and I think we have a realistic chance of doing well because we are capable of beating anybody on our day but, like the rugby union team managed, to lift the trophy you have got to keep winning right the way through.

I think Holland will also be a strong outfit because when they click they are a very good team.

In terms of players, it could be the usual suspects who star like Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy from the Premiership and the Real Madrid quartet of Figo, David Beckham, Zidane and Raul.

If Paul Scholes is there he will also make a major difference for England.

I played against him a lot when we were kids and he always had something special.

We sort of grew up together and he was always the one who shone. We went to the same college in Accrington where all the young footballers in the North West went.

He had natural ability then and could always score goals and I would say he's gone on to be the most naturally-gifted player in the country.

If Wayne Rooney can continue his form in international games then he's going to step forward as well and do a lot of growing up in the summer. He could form a very good partnership with Michael Owen.

And, in Sven-Goran Eriksson, England have also the right man as manager. He has had some unfair criticism but his record in competitive games is exceptional.

The news that he has been offered a two-year extension has put him in a difficult predicament but I suppose everything has to come out and I understand the media need to know these things.

It puts him under pressure if he does decline the offer but, should things work out and he has a successful European Championships, I am sure he will stay.

Put it this way, I think he has had bigger opportunities to leave before now if he wanted to.

Updated: 08:54 Thursday, December 04, 2003