Current, ex-England stars tweet congratulations to Hodgson's men following WC qualification

A host of past and present England internationals have reportedly taken to social networking site Twitter to congratulate Roy Hodgson's men after they helped their side book a berth in the 2014 World Cup with a 2-0 win over Poland in the qualifiers.

Leading the praise for England, Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton, who has made headlines recently after calling the current England side 's***', backtracked from his original comments and tweeted that Hodgson should be credited for his 'bold selection' in the match.

According to the Mirror, former England footballer Michael Owen also joined the voices praising England, and tweeted his congratulations to 'Hodgson and the Boys', while Manchester United and England midfielder Tom Cleverley, who was out of the match due to injury, also hailed his side.

Cleverly's United teammate and former England international Rio Ferdinand also praised the side, while former England defender Phil Neville, whose brother Gary is one of Hodgson's assistants, tweeted that England's performance was one of the best he had ever seen in a long time, with a positive energy pace and attacking play.

Manchester City defender Micah Richards also tweeted his praise, saying that England deserved to top their World Cup qualifying group after their last two performances.