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Hodgson: Sterling in World Cup frame

Raheem Sterling has scored three goals in Liverpool's last two games © PA Photos

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Roy Hodgson says that he will put his faith in youth at the World Cup and Raheem Sterling is firmly in contention for an England place.

With the announcement of the preliminary squads less than a month away, Hodgson wants a younger looking squad in Brazil to the one he took to the last European Championships.

The England manager also admitted that Liverpool's in-form forward Sterling, 19, - who has just two senior caps - "is one of the 30 to 35 candidates in my head."

Hodgson told Kicker: "I only called up a few new players like Jordan Henderson or Danny Welbeck, Andy Carroll and most of all Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for the 2012 European Championships. When I'll announce the World Cup squad, I will call up more younger and less experienced players.

"But that's all part of a natural transition phase experienced by all football nations. You sometimes have an especially good generation like Spain in the past six years. But they will now need a new generation for the next six years.

"You have to be careful to not completely lean towards one direction. It's neither "young is good and old is bad" nor "experience is everything, youth is bad." It's only about the players. There are young ones, who might lack experience, but whose qualities weigh it up and make them better than experienced players. Others are experienced and thus have other qualities."

Asked whether England will go to the World Cup to win it, he answered: "Yes, I would say that -- without claiming that we will win it. We'll go there to play our best football. We believe in us.

"If the players can access their top performances and we have some luck, we can win it. Denmark and Greece have also won the European Championships. But if we can really pull it off is down to if the players playing good enough, if we are prepared good enough and if the organisation runs smoothly. And my job is to take care of exactly that."

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