Mullery played for England in the heat of the 1970 finals in Mexico and he expects the current squad to endure similar conditions at the weekend.“It was really tough for us back then,” he recalls. “We didn’t have a chance to rehydrate during games, like the players do today, and as a consequence we suffered aches and pains over a three or four-day period afterwards.
“It’s going to be difficult for this England side, particularly playing this first game in the Amazon, but it’s the same for Italy too. It could well be the pitch that proves just as tricky, as it looks terrible from what I’ve seen, but once we get through this game, the other two will be played in much better conditions.”
Mullery is expecting either Brazil or Argentina to win the World Cup this year but he is also keeping his eye on a European dark horse.
“It’s going to be very difficult for a European country to win it in South America but when I look at the Premier League and some of the other top leagues in Europe, there are a number of outstanding Belgium players at the moment. If they get it together and click as a team, they won’t be far away.”
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