England manager Roy Hodgson drew flak after naming a relatively young squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but he expressed confidence that the team is capable of winning it all in Brazil.

Hodgson said an interview that his decision to name young players into England's World Cup team will not hurt their chances of making a lot of noise in this year's biggest sporting event.

The 66-year-old manager named emerging stars Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley, and Raheem Sterling into the squad in favor of seasoned veterans Ashley Cole, Michael Carrick, and Jermain Defoe.

"Yes, of course, I believe this squad can win the World Cup," Hodgson said via ESPN FC. "There is no point in going unless we have some belief they can win it."

England was drawn into a tough group that also includes Italy, Uruguay, and Costa Rica. Hodgson said that anything can happen in Brazil, but he also added that they have to bring in their A-game every match in order to reach their goal this summer.

"If we are going to win it, we will have to play very well," Hodgson said. "We will have to prepare well and, if we are going to win this, this talented group of players will have to perform. There is a mood of positivity in the country and we are going to try and feed on that and make sure we do not let people down."

Hodgson also knows that the World Cup is an event wherein experience could be the difference in winning and losing, but he insisted that the young players that he included in the roster earned their spot with their recent strong performances.

"We shouldn't get hung up on the fact that there are some youngsters in the squad," Hodgson said. "They are there because I believe they deserve to be there and because I feel they are capable of performing well. I'm not taking anyone purely for the experience."

Hodgson admitted that the squad might have looked very different had he made his decision several months ago, but the players who made it into the team caught his attention after performing well in the second half of the English Premier League season.