Soccer-England World Cup draw factbox

LONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Factbox on World Cup qualifiers England: Form and Prospects England qualified for the World Cup with an unbeaten record as European Group H winners. A rousing finale to their campaign brought three wins and a draw from their last four matches, during which they conceded just one goal. Coach Roy Hodgson, who has previous World Cup experience having taken Switzerland to the finals in 1994, has emerged with credit from the campaign and will spend the next few months considering which young players to take to Brazil alongside the established names. Under Hodgson, England play with relative caution based on a solid defence, but when Hodgson picked winger Andros Townsend against Montenegro in their penultimate qualifier, they played with a refreshing attacking verve in a 4-1 victory. If Wayne Rooney continues for the rest of the season the way he has started brightly for Manchester United, and if veterans Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard and the injury-prone Jack Wilshere can perform to their best in midfield, England could make a positive impact in Brazil. They appear reasonably assured at the back, where Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka look to have succeeded John Terry and Rio Ferdinand in the centre of defence. Goalkeeper Joe Hart, if he regains his form, is usually hard to beat. Up front, Rooney, with 38 England goals, is closing in on Bobby Charlton's all-time record of 49, and his Manchester United team mate Danny Welbeck is proving his worth with eight goals in his first 20 internationals. However, more than most of the other teams, it is what goes on inside the players' heads that will probably determine how successful a World Cup they have. No European side has won the World Cup in South America. For England to do so would require an enormous surge of self-belief that is probably beyond them. England have reached eight of the last nine World Cups, but since their triumph in 1966 they have made the semi-finals only once - almost a quarter of century ago, in Italy in 1990. A similar achievement would be regarded as a big success in Brazil. Coach: Roy Hodgson The hugely experienced 66-year-old has coached in many parts of the world and has enjoyed a solid 18 months as boss with only two defeats in open play in his first 23 matches - friendlies against Sweden in November 2012 and Chile this month. An old-school man of considerable charm and interests outside of football, he brings a quiet dignity to the position and, unusually for an England manager, has not endured a mauling by the British media. Hodgson is a conservative manager, but cannot be faulted for experimenting with younger, promising players in the build-up to the finals. Key player: Wayne Rooney At 28 years of age, Wayne Rooney is at the peak of his physical powers. If England are to make an impression in the finals, Rooney needs to play well. The departure of Alex Ferguson from Manchester United appears to have rejuvenated the striker. He has produced some impressive, hard working performances in the early season and he has carried that form into England's games as well. He is also closing in on two landmarks - he is 12 matches away from playing 100 times for England and 12 goals away from beating former Manchester United idol Bobby Charlton's long-standing national record of 49 England goals. This will be Rooney's third World Cup, and after being sent off in 2006 and not scoring in either 2006 or 2010, now would be the perfect time to end that duck. He proved he can score in Brazil, with a fine goal in England's 2-2 draw in Rio in June. How they qualified: Winners European Group H 2012 Sept 7 Moldova A W 5-0 Lampard 2 (1pen), Defoe, Baines Milner Sept 11 Ukraine H D 1-1 Lampard pen Oct 12 San Marino H W 5-0 Rooney 2, Welbeck 2, Oxlade-Chamberlain Oct 17 Poland A D 1-1 Rooney 2013 March 22 San Marino A W 8-0 Defoe 2, Sturridge, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Young, Lampard, Rooney, og March 26 Montenegro H D 1-1 Rooney Sept 6 Moldova H W 4-0 Welbeck 2, Gerrard, Lambert Sept 10 Ukraine A D 0-0 Oct 11 Montenegro H W 4-1 Rooney, Townsend, Sturridge pen, og Oct 15 Poland H W 2-0 Rooney, Gerrard World Cup record: Previous appearances: 13 (1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010) Best performance: Winners 1966 Odds: William Hill odds to win World Cup (Nov 2013): 25-1 (Reporting by Mike Collett, editing by Stephen Wood)