Wayne Rooney says beating Switzerland will give England a confidence boost and set them on course in Euro 2016 group

England face Switzerland in first Euro 2016 qualifier on Monday night
Match will be Wayne Rooney's first competitive fixture as permanent England captain
Rooney says Switzerland away is the toughest game in the group

England's new captain Wayne Rooney believes a victory over Switzerland on Monday night would give Roy Hodgson's side the confidence to win their Euro 2016 qualifying group.

The match will be England's first competitive fixture since a disappointing World Cup performance where they failed to win a game.

But Rooney said on Sunday that if they can win on Monday, in what he described as 'the most difficult game of the group', they will have come through a big test.

VIDEO Scroll down to see Rooney & Hodgson's thoughts on the Switzerland game

Leaders: Rooney (left) and Hodgson have both said that Switzerland away will be England's toughest test

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'It's probably the most difficult game of the group,' said Rooney.

'We want to come out with a good result. We've had time to prepare and I think we've done that well. We're excited, looking forward to it. It's a big test.

'Not just the young players, but the whole team if we get a positive result, it will give us confidence to do well in this group.

'We're ready for the game and hopefully can get the result we want.

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Rooney scored the first goal when the two sides met in Basle in 2010, but the Manchester United forward insists Switzerland will present a very different challenge now.

'Four years ago is a long time, a completely different team and we have to look to the future. There's no point looking back. It was a good result and good performance four years ago but that game's irrelevant.

'There's a determination. We're a tight knit group working hard to get the best from each other. There's quality in the team and it's about that quality coming together.'

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