The Swede has uncharacteristically chopped and changed his line-up in the final run-in to the tournament. But it all seemed worthwhile as England convincingly overcame Iceland with two goals each from Wayne Rooney and Darius Vassell and one apiece from Frank Lampard and Wayne Bridge.

It was the perfect tonic for a side that had been under pressure to produce a convincing performance after a hesitant display in the 1-1 draw with Japan in midweek.

"There was pressure from the fans and the media. But we know what we have got in the squad," Liverpool striker Michael Owen admitted.

"We know we can produce on any given day so hopefully we can produce in Portugal."

Saturday's win represented a significant success for England's revamped midfield in which Steven Gerrard and Lampard operate in the centre with Paul Scholes on the left and David Beckham on the right.

Lampard had looked distinctly uncomfortable when asked to play at the base of a midfield diamond against Japan. But with greater freedom to get forward he capped an impressive display on Saturday with England's opening goal.

"We had more confidence today. We felt better and the legs were fresher," the Chelsea midfielder said.

"A performance like we had the other night where we started well and then fell away is a reminder that we have got to be on our game all the time.

"We believe in the players we've got in the squad, the lads get on well and we can wait to get out there now. We're looking forward to the opening game."

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson was delighted with the first half performance by his first choice XI and the way his back-up players kept the pressure on Iceland after wholescale changes at half-time.

"We played well in both halves, with good discipline and good organisation," Eriksson said.

"It was good to see all members of the squad are in good shape and there were some very, very good goals."

Although it now seems inevitable that England will start the tournament, against France on June 13, playing a traditional 4-4-2 formation, Eriksson would not rule out reverting to a midfield diamond if circumstances require.

"This squad can do both of them and it's up to me and the coaches to decide when we need them."

"Probably I now know (the starting line-up against France) but I don't want to talk about the formation or the personnel."

Centre-half Sol Campbell said England would not be intimidated by the prospect of taking on his Arsenal teammates Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and the rest of France's star-studded side.

"We are getting it all together, playing some good football and our confidence is high," Eriksson said.

"Next week it will be a different game with higher quality players. They are one or two in the world but anyone is beatable. We have got to play to our maximum to beat them."

The rout should have started as early as the fifth minute, when Gary Neville's astutely curled cross from the right presented Scholes with an opportunity to score his first international goal in three years.

But the Manchester United man volleyed over from the edge of the six-yard box,

Lampard was equally profligate when Beckham's corner found him in space in an identical position, the Chelsea midfielder failing to make a clean contact with his header.

There were however plenty of positive signs for England to offset the wastefulness in front of goal, chief among them a couple of exquisite passes from Scholes for Owen and the aggressive running of Rooney from deep positions.

England's pressure was finally rewarded when Lampard, starting from inside his own half, exchanged passes with Scholes and unleashed a 35-yard shot that spun past Arni Arason with the help of a deflection off Hermann Hreidarsson.

The Charlton midfielder was embarrassed again as England doubled their lead within two minutes. Running on to a Beckham throw-in, Gary Neville swept past Hreidarsson with a neat first touch and cut the ball back for Rooney to sweep a shot past Arason from eight yards.

The Everton teenager then provided the most encouraging moment of the afternoon for the England supporters. Scholes's neat lay-off gave the Everton teenager time to control the ball before firing an unstoppable shot past Arason from 30 yards.

An otherwise impeccable first-half display was marred by the slack defending which allowed Iceland to pull a goal back three minutes before the interval.

A corner from the left was headed back across goal by Hreidarsson and after a flick by Ivar Ingimarasson, Watford's Heidur Helguson got in front of Jamie Carragher to head home from close range.

Carragher, playing in place of the injured John Terry, was the only outfield player to survive Eriksson's half-time switchover and the players who came on quickly displayed their desire to catch the Swede's eye.

Ledley King had a header cleared off the line by Thordur Gudjonsson before Vassell connected with the impressive Owen Hargreaves' left-foot shot to restore England's three-goal lead.

Joe Cole should have added to it within a minute but side-footed wide from 10 yards after being set up by Kieron Dyer.

Eidur Gudjohnsen produced Iceland's best effort shortly afterwards, grazing the top of the bar with a fierce strike.

But this was to be England's afternoon. Bridge opened his international account after running on to Emile Heskey's knockdown to finish a move he had started himself and Vassell rounded things off with a well-placed finish from the edge of the area after a neat one-two with Heskey.