“He is the most senior member of the squad and he is hugely respected by his peers”, Allardyce said. “All of these factors point towards him being the right choice to lead the team.”- AFP. The England captain, who has come under fire for substandard performances over the last few years, said that he’s going to give it his all through the tournament in Russian Federation, but that after that, he’ll walk away from the Three Lions.
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The new manager insisted he will look to play him as a number 10 in the same way as Jose Mourinho does at Manchester United.
“I have had a fantastic worldwide career, played a lot of games and I’ve enjoyed every minute but at some point it has got to come to an end”.
Allardyce admits he will expect Rooney to become his voice in the pitch and a player prepared to make changes during the game if required.
“It’s the manager’s decision”, added Rooney.
“Dele Alli’s in a very similar position, so you have to make a hard choice”.
“I hope that more and more very hard decisions have to be made by the form of England players in the Premier League all breaking into the first team, playing regularly”, Allardyce added. “But you have to make these decisions”.
“I’m doing my badges – it’s a long time”. The match against Slovakia will be his 116th for England, one more than David Beckham.
West Ham winger Antonio, who already has two headed Premier League goals to his name this season, has taken a scenic route to the highest level. “Obviously [I’ve got] bad memories of the last time playing for England, so it will be nice to get back out there playing and hopefully [get] a positive result”. “After the World Cup in Russian Federation, looking at the next tournament I’ll be 34 and so it is the right time for me to stop playing”. “It’s a bit similar to Jamie Vardy – it shows if you have got guts and determination and desire, how much it means”.
And he said that he was keen on having a go in the hot-seat himself.
Rooney, who faced calls to step down as captain following a poor Euro 2016 for England which saw them knocked out by Iceland at the round of 16 stage – with Hodgson losing his job as a result – said he was always going to remain available to the new regime. “So it’s a case sitting down with United when the time’s right”.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has displaced 18-year-old Rashford up front at United.
But Rooney would be gratified to hear his manager’s response when asked who his best captain had been in club football.
“The facility itself is fantastic, but there are some times when you can feel like you are stuck here a bit”, Allardyce said. “If Jack Wilshere was playing every week for Arsenal he would be in the squad”. “Surely, if we are going to win something and that player is of the calibre to force his way into the side, we give him an opportunity”.
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The English Football Association says goalkeeper Joe Hart has been given permission to leave the England camp, amid speculation he is about to complete a loan move to Italian side Torino.
