Jack Wilshere has outlined England’s respect for Andrea Pirlo and admitted tactics are being set up with him in mind.

Italy are the Three Lions’ opening World Cup group stage opponents on Saturday night, in a first competitive meeting since the quarter-finals of the 2012 European Championships.

Jack Wilshere has outlined England’s respect for Andrea Pirlo and admitted tactics are being set up with him in mind.

Italy are the Three Lions’ opening World Cup group stage opponents on Saturday night, in a first competitive meeting since the quarter-finals of the 2012 European Championships.

On from Coach Roy Hodgson saying that the English will perform better than in that game and in being able to stop Pirlo in particular, midfielder Wilshere has outlined the respect they are facing the Juventus man with.

“We know that he is getting on but we know he has the quality,” Wilshere has told reporters at England’s training camp this week.

“He is like Stevie [Gerrard] on our team. He is a great player, the anchor. He picks the ball up, he's a playmaker.

“He gets the game started and we saw that a couple of years ago in the Euros. He was great in that game.

“We have seen in the last two games that our set up was with the Italy game in mind.

“We played the two in midfield with one ahead and it will be that man's job to screen him.

“There will be times in the game when he gets on the ball and then we just have to narrow in and stop his forward balls.”

Arsenal midfielder Wilshere was asked if there was any trepidation facing the playing conditions expected in Manaus for Saturday evening’s meeting with the Azzurri.

“Maybe before when we saw the draw, but no we've prepared. We trained hard in Portugal, we trained with the extra layers and we went to Miami and stepped it up a bit.

“Now we're feeling really good and we've got things in place. We're fully prepared.

“Could the Premier League have done with a winter break? It might help missing the last six weeks of the season and the Premier League is a tough season.

“In Spain and other countries they stop at Christmas and we don't. But there are a lot of young players who are so happy to be here. I don't think they feel any fear.”

Byrob

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