Defoe admits England struggling to adapt to altitude

Jermain Defoe insisted England’s World Cup preparations were on track but admitted they had struggled at altitude in their final warm-up match, a 3-0 win over club side Platinum Stars on Monday.

Defoe’s early opener was followed by second half goals from Joe Cole and Wayne Rooney but it was a far from convincing display from Fabio Capello’s men, who face the United States in their group C opener in nearby Rustenburg on Saturday.

“It was quite difficult to breathe out there to be honest,” said the Tottenham striker.

“We are higher up than when in Austria for the training camp, so altitude is going to play a major part.

“It felt a lot harder in terms of breathing and getting your recovery – it was quite difficult to get your breath back.

“But we will get used to that and we feel prepared for Saturday. Mentally we are prepared, physically we are prepared.

“Everyone is looking forward to the game.”