Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said: “Liverpool is such an historic footballing city I’m not surprised we’ve been chosen. I’m 100% behind England’s bid.”

Liverpool Council leader Warren Bradley, who also led Liverpool’s bid, said: “I am over the moon. A lot of hard work has gone into this by city officials and both the football clubs. At the end of the day, it was a no-brainer.”

He said he would be encouraging Mr Purslow to “get on with the new stadium”, but that he had received reassurances the club would build the stadium when the money markets had improved.

Peter Shaw, executive director of LFC, said: “We always had Anfield as a fall-back option to make the bid more robust.

“It was about making sure that Liverpool as a city made this bid happen. Our plans are exactly the same as we have always said. As we have said in the past, the financial markets have to be right for Liverpool Football Club.”

Other venues missing out included Pride Park, the Walkers Stadium, the KC Stadium, and Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane.

Last night, Mr Elstone said: “What is truly disappointing is that we at Everton have been ruled out of contention despite constantly re-iterating our belief that we will have a new stadium built, open and fully-functioning many years before a World Cup in either 2018 or 2022.

“Other clubs that will face similar funding and planning challenges just like Everton have been included – so why not Everton?”