Alan Shearer says he would love to take on the current England defence – and has serious worries about how they will perform in South Africa.

Shearer, one of the greatest Three Lions strikers of all time, scored 30 goals in 63 caps for the national team.

He said: “England, at the moment, haven't got a good defence.

“Ashley Cole would play but he's not fully match fit. John Terry would play but he's not having a good time. Rio Ferdinand's not playing.
 
“Glen Johnson, who would play at right-back, has ­hardly played. There are questions that are going to be asked.

“And goalkeeper, for me, isn't a strong point.

“So, would I love to have been up against a defence like that, going into a World Cup? Well, at the moment I wouldn't mind.”

Geordie legend Shearer, who will be working as a BBC pundit during the tournament, wants Fabio Capello to put Ledley King on the plane.

The Tottenham centre-back has been thwarted by continuing knee problems but, with the fitness of ­several defenders in ­question, the England boss has continued to monitor the 29-year-old closely.

“I am a big fan of Ledley King,” said Shearer. “On his day, I don't think there are many better.

“But he can only play once a week. By his own admission, he can't play two games in four, five days. That might have to happen with England.

“But if Capello is true to his word, and he picks players that are in form, then Michael Dawson for the last two or three months has been magnificent.

“Bearing in mind that at the beginning of the season, he probably wouldn’t have been in the team if Jonathan Woodgate and King were playing week-in, week-out.

“So he deserves tremendous credit for that.

“But I am a fan of Ledley King.”

Shearer is also a huge fan of Capello, and particularly ­admires the way he has ­abolished cliques and instilled discipline into the team.

“Capello's been very ­successful so far with his methods and he’s not going to change, is he?” said Shearer

“His way has been very, very successful – so why would he?”

“There has been talk that he treats the players like schoolkids and they will be bored out in South Africa.

“But you are away with 23 of your mates. If you are getting results, it’s a lot easier.

“And the sooner they get the first game, they start playing, then it becomes a little bit easier.

“Then you are focused on the games. I don’t think that will be a problem at all.

“You are not in a bad hotel, are you? You are in a nice hotel, with a swimming pool and everything else.”

Capello has drawn up an initial list of 40 players, to be whittled down to 30 when the squad head to Austria for a pre-tournament training camp.

Shearer added: “I would take Theo Walcott because I think he brings something different. And I would play Emile Heskey.

“You have to forget about his goalscoring. He’s not a goalscorer.

“The team scores goals when Heskey plays - that is the most important thing.”