Roy Hodgson wants his England players to harness spirit of Olympic Games

England manager Roy Hodgson has said that he wants his players to harness the positive atmosphere created by Great Britain's athletes in the Olympic Games.

"I'd love to tap into the whole atmosphere, because the Olympics have really shown us the way to go," Hodgson told The Sun.

"The public have been very sympathetic towards the athletes and I've been really impressed by the manner in which the sportsmen and women have won medals and embraced their victories.

"Now it is up to us to produce performances that will keep the fans happy in the same way."

England play their first match of the 2012-13 season with a friendly against European Championship finalists Italy in Berne, Switzerland on Wednesday, August 15.