Steven Gerrard hailed England’s “unbreakable” defence after managing to frustrate France to earn a crucial 1-1 draw in their Euro 2012 opener.

The England captain led from the front with a tireless performance in central midfield as Roy Hodgson’s side dug deep to hang on for a share of the points in Donetsk.

Joleon Lescott had headed England into the lead before Samir Nasri fired home a long-range equaliser.

France went on to dominate for long periods in the second half as England faded but Gerrard believes his team-mates’ defensive resilience augurs well for the remainder of the tournament.

“I thought we defended really well and were resolute. When we turned over possession, we looked really dangerous so I’m satisfied,” Gerrard said.

“Considering we haven’t been together so long, I think the lads have taken the tactics on board really quickly.

“We’re happy with the point but it only becomes a good point if we go and build on it and now we’ll try to take the three points against Sweden.”

Asked if he was surprised by the speed of England’s progress under Hodgson, Gerrard replied: “I’m not, because I know the manager well and he puts the message across really well.

“But the boys have got to listen and take it on board and I thought against France, we were unbreakable at times.

“It’s a very good sign. To do well in these tournaments, you have to be good defensively and we were.”

Gerrard’s central midfield partner Scott Parker praised the “heart and commitment” of his team-mates.

“I think the one thing we showed was that we brought a lot of heart and a lot of commitment,” he said.

“I don’t know if that wins you tournaments but it’s certainly a base for us to build on.

“It was big hearts and a lot of courage from everyone out there, man to man. Hopefully we can now build on that and get more going forward. The formation stayed tight and we limited them to not a lot of chances, which was pleasing.”