“Realistically I know myself that Russian Federation will be my last opportunity to do anything with England”, said Rooney at St George’s Park yesterday, ahead of Allardyce’s first match as manager, against Slovakia in Bratislava next Monday.
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For the England team, Rooney’s retention in the role, widely anticipated, ensures continuity for a player who broke Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time England goal-scoring record during the qualification campaign for Euro 2016.
England crashed out in the group phase at the last World Cup in Brazil two years ago and, with Rooney as captain, were humiliated by minnows Iceland in the last at Euro 2016.
I said straight after the Euros that I wanted to still be involved. Fifteen years is a lot.
‘I seem to say that after every tournament.
Here, Press Association Sport’s Tom White reviews Rooney’s global career in numbers.
11 & 2 – Having been famously sent off against Portugal in the 2006 World Cup and again in a Euro 2012 qualifier in Montenegro, Rooney also has 11 yellow cards in his global career.
Rooney has retained the England captaincy under new manager Sam Allardyce and will lead the team against Slovakia in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday.
“Of course it will be a proud moment”, Rooney said of becoming the most-capped outfield player, taking him nine behind Peter Shilton’s overall record. Rooney will don the armband under Allardyce for the first time on Sunday when England launch their attempt to reach the next World Cup in Russian Federation with a game against Slovakia in Trnava. I’m ready to play whether it’s midfield, number 10 or striker. “Obviously I can speak with all the players but deep down I don’t really know what is going on in players’ minds”. However, they have not won a tournament knockout game since the 2006 World Cup.
“The ability and talent is there. We’ve lost one in about 14, 15 qualifiers and we’re not that far away”.
“He will want to find out why we keep tripping up”.
As a club manager, the “big Sam” encountered captains like Okocha at Bolton, Mark Noble and Kevin Nolan at West Ham and John O’Shea at Sunderland. “Hopefully we can avoid it happening again”.
“I have got 26 nieces and nephews and it is good to show them you can always do anything if you put your mind to it”, he said.
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“We have seen a lot of teams overachieve with him as manager”. Raheem Sterling has been a lively presence in the start which Manchester City have made to the season, Adam Lallana has been playing constructive football for Liverpool, and Dele Alli – whose form shaded badly just at the wrong time for England last season – will be back.
