England appear to have been handed one of the kindest of draws for next summer's World Cup final’s. Sven-Goran Eriksson's team were drawn along with Paraguay, Sweden and World Cup finals newcomers Trinidad and Tobago from the CONCACAF region.

England’s head coach proclaimed himself "Very happy" after England were drawn together with his compatriots Sweden, as well as Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago in Group B.

England skipper David Beckham went one step further and insisted: "If we work hard and play to our potential we have a genuine chance of winning the World Cup."

Sweden are considered a bogey side for England, who have not beaten the Swede’s since 1968, but the bookmakers have already made England second favourites behind Brazil to be crowned World champions.

Sven Goran Eriksson stressed though that England could not afford any slip-ups, and that winning the group will prove crucial to their chances.

Speaking after the draw in Leipzig, Eriksson said: “It's seems like destiny to get Sweden again. Sooner or later we have to beat them because it is more than 30 years, 1968 in fact, since England last beat them.”

“I am happy with the draw but we have to play our best from the very first minute in all three games. If you underestimate anyone then you can be out.”

“It's very important to win the group, otherwise if we come second we would probably meet Germany.”

"There are some tough-looking teams we could meet in the quarter-finals, but you cannot expect to go to the semi-finals in the World Cup and expect an easy team."

If results go as expected and Sven’s men top the group, England would probably play Poland in the last 16, and then possibly either Argentina or Holland in the quarter-finals, and Brazil in the semi-finals.

Eriksson reiterated however that England should not be complacent and start looking too far ahead of their task in the group.

He added: “Trinidad have a very good manager in Leo Beenhakker, and they have players like Dwight Yorke who naturally will do everything he can to try to beat England.”

"We beat Paraguay 4-0 in a friendly the last time we played them but I do not expect a World Cup game to be that easy."

For the second World Cup running, England, who were eliminated by eventual World Cup winners, Brazil, in the 2002 quarter-finals, will take on manager Sven-Goran Eriksson's native homeland of Sweden, who drew 1-1 with England in the group stages in Japan four years ago.

"We meet a familiar opponent in Sweden…one that both the players and manager know well," England captain David Beckham told the English FA website after they were drawn in Group B.

Swedish coach Lars Lagerback thinks England will provide the strongest threat in Group B, and the manager believes both teams have improved since the last World Cup.

Lagerback said: "I would have preferred some other teams from the top seeds but it will be very interesting, England have influenced Swedish football a lot, and they like Sven very much in Sweden… He's one of the most popular Swedes you can find.”

Lagerback continued, “I think England are better now than when we played them at the last World Cup, and they can get even better for next summer.”

“They have found a very well-balanced team, with some really good individuals who, at the same time, play very much for the team as team players, so I think they will be very tough next summer.”

"Rooney, Lampard and Terry have come into the team since we last played them, and there's a good balance between the younger and more experienced players, and you can never underestimate a player with the speed and finishing of Michael Owen."

Trinidad and Tobago ‘Warriors’ coach Leo Beenhakker, who once coached the Netherlands, has done amazing things to get the Warriors to the World Cupo finals for the first time in their history.

Sedley Joseph, an outstanding former Trinidad and Tobago player and team manager, said that no matter where T&T were drawn, as World Cup first-timers the competition would have been difficult.

"Obviously, England will be the favourites to win the group, and Sweden is an extremely good team as well. I am not prepared to say we will beat anybody, but hopefully we will give a good account of ourselves."

With the Caribbean side being captained by former Manchester United star striker Dwight Yorke, and the bulk of the Warriors squad playing their football in the UK, Leo Beenhakker’s team will relish the chance to play against England.

England’s Captain David Beckham is also looking forward to the encounter. The Real Madrid midfielder was already relishing taking on a fellow former Manchester United man in Trinidad and Tobago’s captain, Dwight Yorke.

“I am looking forward to playing my old team mate Dwight Yorke with Trinidad and Tobago. He is someone who I share many great memories with,” said Beckham.

Paraguay, who finished fourth in the CONMEBOL South American qualifying zone, are a bit of an unknown quantity for the three other teams.

Paraguay went out of the tournament by the same 1-0 margin in the second round of the last two FIFA World Cup finals, losing first to eventual champions France in 1998, and then again in 2002 to the eventual runner-up team, Germany.

Paraguay’s coach is the Uruguayan Anibal Maño Ruiz. One of only three South American coaches to survive getting sacked during the entire South American qualifying campaign, he took temporary charge of the team from Italian Cesare Maldini, father of AC Milan’s Paolo Maldini, after Korea/Japan 2002, and was given the job on a permanent basis in April 2003.

They finished above Uruguay in the South America zone, and defeated African qualifiers Togo 4-2 in a friendly match last month, and with the strike-force of Roque Santa Cruz, the tireless Jose Cardozo and Paraguayan football's new hope, Nelson Haedo Valdez, the Paraguayan’s are not short of fire-power.

“Paraguay are a bit of an unknown quantity but we will be prepared fully when we meet them,” said Beckham.

Midfielder Steven Gerrard agreed with Beckham that the World Cup draw had been fairly kind to England.

“There's a couple of tasty groups in there so I think we can be relatively satisfied with ours,” said Liverpool’s midfield maestro.

“You wouldn't say that the draw has been kind to us, but I'm sure that the players and staff are happy with it, and confident that we can go through to the last 16.”