David Beckham is confident that England can build upon the experience gained at this year's World Cup by winning the European Championships in two years.
England lost 2-1 to Brazil in a quarter-final on Friday, but the team's captain said in Tuesday's Sun newspaper that he was convinced they could win Euro 2004 in Portugal.
Beckham said: "That is next up on the agenda for us and it is something that I am convinced is well within our grasp.
"There is so much talent and desire in this squad that the 2006 World Cup in Germany has to be a genuine target for us as well," he added.
In the interview, Beckham expressed his disappointment at England's loss to Brazil but also spoke of the positive spirit within the 23-man squad and the joy of overcoming Argentina in their group F match.
"I honestly felt we would have won (the World Cup) in Japan if we had managed to get past Brazil.
"That wasn't to be but there's always a next time. And who can dare say that we won't succeed in Portugal and Germany where we failed in Japan?" he said.
Beckham also stressed how important he felt it was for the current crop of players to stay together in pursuit of future successes.
"Our spirit is unshakeable, our belief in each other is rock solid. And it is not only on the pitch that we have that kind of attitude. We are all just as close off it.
"You only have to look at the way we all got on during this World Cup campaign to see that.
"We had a lot of young players in there alongside older, far more experienced ones who have been knocking around the international scene for years.
"But the way everybody mixed could not have been more perfect," the Manchester United midfielder added.
Despite admitting to problems with his fitness going into the tournament after breaking his foot just eight weeks before the event kicked off, Beckham was satisfied with his overall contribution.
"There were obviously aspects of my game that were not right. But I would not have gone into any game out there if I felt I was not capable of making a valid contribution.
"Obviously my fitness wasn't what it usually is but I still did as much as I could for the team.
"I scored our penalty winner against Argentina and then set up three more goals. So at the end of the day, I was pleased with my input," Beckham said.
