Fabio Capello's men are top of Group 6 after five straight wins, including the victory over Ukraine at Wembley last night which came courtesy of John Terry's late winner.

Shevchenko feels the best his country can hope for is one of the second-placed finishes that will lead to a two-legged tie to reach the finals.

"We will try to fight for second place, but England for sure will qualify in first now," he said. "It is just about who will finish second and we will try to do it."

Shevchenko endured a miserable two years at Chelsea before returning to AC Milan at the start of the season, meaning the Wembley clash saw him reunited with former team-mates Terry, Ashley Cole, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Frank Lampard.

The 32-year-old striker is not getting regular football at the San Siro either but he is confident of eventually making an impact.

"It's going okay at Milan," he said. "I'm not playing too much, but I'm working hard. My method is always to do my best on the pitch and hope things will go better for me."

Shevchenko scored an equaliser at Wembley before Terry's winner - but he insists he was not playing to prove a point after his spell at Stamford Bridge.

"For me I don't think about the past and when I played for Chelsea," he said. "I had many injuries and it was a difficult time for me.

"Now I feel much better and I'm looking forward to the future. I have a good opportunity in my life.

"I was happy to see so many players that I used to play with at Chelsea, like Frank, JT and Shaun. It was a great experience in my life to play at Wembley."