Taylor lauds England's chances

Steven Taylor insists England "don't fear anybody" at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship as the side prepare for their final warm-up match against Slovakia.

'Winning attitude'
Stuart Pearce's men raised eyebrows with their impressive play-off victory against Germany to reach the Netherlands and, now they are there, Newcastle United FC defender Taylor is confident they can go all the way. "The quality in the squad is fantastic," he told thefa.com. "You speak to everyone in the squad, they don't fear anybody. We've got that winning attitude and belief. There's no reason why we can't win it."

Slovakia showcase
Taylor will be suspended when England kick off their campaign against the Czech Republic in Arnhem next Monday, so will be aiming to lay down a marker in tonight's friendly against Slovakia at Norwich City FC. "It is important to get a good performance and get in the manager's plans for the finals," the centre-back continued. "Slovakia will be a difficult game but we want to put in a good performance. We'll be looking to get a result to get us on track for the championship."

Senior aspirations
England will also face Italy and Serbia in Group B yet Taylor's belief remains undimmed. "We're capable of doing it and it's up to us to show the potential that we have," continued the 21-year-old, who is also keen to make an impression with the watching Steve McClaren having made a substitute appearance for England B against Albania last month. "It's made me more hungry. Just getting that taste, 25 minutes, was the best thing that's ever happened to me," he said. That feeling may change if England succeed in the Netherlands.