Dame Kelly Holmes says Oxford City ace Hannah England should take some positives from her disappointing Great Britain debut at the European Indoor Championships.

The double Olympic gold medallist, who mentors England on her ‘On Camp with Kelly’ programme, said she can have a big future in 1500m running.

England, who celebrated her 22nd birthday on the day of the women’s 1500m qualifying in Turin, failed to reach the final after clocking 4mins 14.75secs – nearly five seconds slower than her personal best.

Holmes said: “It was her debut as a senior, which was a real positive. At least she has got to that stage.

“That’s a huge learning curve for her, but she is doing the right things.

“It’s far more tactical, especially in the 1500, than it is outdoors, because it is a much smaller track.

“The bends are very tight, so you’ve got to know your placing.”

Holmes added: “I think Hannah has got a really brilliant chance of making it. Whatever level that is, we’ll have to see.

“The World Championships in Berlin will be the next major target for her.

“Before that, she has got to make sure she stays injury-free and healthy.

“However, she must stay focused. You can’t get to the World Championships without doing the trials.

“She has rivals with Steph Twell, Lisa Dobriskey, and others like Susan Scott.

“But I think the 1500m is more open than the 800m.”

Although desperately disappointed with her performance, England was philosophical about her first appearance in a senior Great Britain team.

She said: “I just ran like a headless chicken. I didn’t really know what I was doing.

“I think I got too caught up in the moment and was perhaps a bit too aggressive.

“The pace was fine, it certainly wasn’t above me. I knew I wasn’t getting in over my head.

“But on every straight I was trying to overtake someone, and was using up all my energy.

“I have learned a lot from it though, and sitting in the stands watching the final certainly made me realise that I must stick at it.

“This is definitely where I want to be.

“I think I just need to run a bit more calmly.”

And she was thrilled to have Holmes’s support.

“To have Kelly backing me all the way is fantastic,” she added.

“She texted me after my race on Friday and told me not to beat myself up over my performance and that the outdoor season is more important.”

Now England has set her sights on August’s World Championships.

She said: “The outdoor season starts soon, and Berlin is a big aim.

“I’m probably not going to race again until I’ve finished my exams in May or June, but I have two months to get some endurance work in.”