King is convinced England can lift the trophy next summer, claimed The Daily Mirror.
He said: "I think we have got the players and the belief. If we can put it all together and have that bit of luck which every team needs, we can definitely win the World Cup. Everyone needs a special player. Top sides have players they can look to in order to turn a game. To do something a bit special - and Wayne Rooney is definitely England's special player. At such a young age, he's so strong, he's intelligent and shows no fear. The last tournament (Euro 2004) could have been too much for a player so young - but it wasn't for him at all. He's gone out there and played as if he was in the park. He's brilliant and he's definitely a player we're looking to inspire us. You always need a bit of luck at a tournament but, without a shadow of a doubt, we have got a squad that can win and I think all of the players feel the same way. We feel we have a great chance. No one expected Greece to win Euro 2004 but that's the way football is - with a bit of luck anything can happen. We've got a great spirit. Everyone wants to do well. There's a lot of young players in the squad who have come through together at under-18s and under-21s. The spirit is great and that could be the difference for us. It’s an exciting time for everyone hoping to be in the squad. It’s the biggest tournament anyone can play in. Once you know who you are playing, you can focus on it a bit more. I don't know if it will make the nerves set in more because there is still a while to go and a lot can happen. Everyone has just got to keep working hard, keeping the other players on their toes and that is what we'll all be trying to do for the rest of the season."
Last night's Group B draw made in Leipzig to feature England:
10 June 2006 England v Paraguay (Frankfurt)
15 June 2006 England v Trinidad & Tobago (Nuremberg)
20 June 2006 England v Sweden (Cologne)