Teddy Sheringham has hailed the impact Sven-Goran Eriksson has had on England's bid for World Cup glory.
The Tottenham star believes Eriksson's positive approach was a key factor in picking up the players after the opening 1-1 draw with Sweden.
And he feels that the trust he has shown in the 23-man squad has helped create a healthy respect between both parties which can only benefit England, who play Denmark in a second-phase match in Niigata tomorrow.
Sheringham said: "I think one good thing that comes from the manager is that he treats you like men and lets you be what you are.
"It's not like a clamping down on you, keeping an eye on you 24 hours a day situation - which is good. We are fully grown men. We know what's good for us.
"We need to be led as footballers because we don't know everything but you do know what's best for you and for him to have that respect for us is great. It is a two-way thing because we have it for him."
Sheringham admitted: "We are delighted to be into the next round but after the first game with Sweden we were all very down because we had not played as well as we would have liked.
"But the manager was very calm in the period after that match and told us it was not the end of the world getting that result.
"He and the rest of the staff picked us back up very quickly and helped to bring the confidence and belief back to everyone."
Defender Sol Campbell echoed Sheringham's comments about Eriksson and said: "He's got vast experience in football and has been there, seen it and done it.
"He knows what he is doing. He knows what he wants but he doesn't rant and rave about it. He explains things and treats people like human beings. Footballers do like to be treated like adults."
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