Despite being a part of highly fancied teams over the last 13 years, Rooney’s England have never gone past the quarter-finals of any tournament; the side has been notorious for under-performing in major tournaments.
Advertisement
Rooney was named as a midfielder in Allardyce’s first squad, but could still play as a striker during the campaign.
“It’s not just about playing, it’s about trying to win and that’s what I’ve tried to do throughout my England career and what I’ll continue to do for the next two years”.
Rooneyhas backed former Bolton, West Ham and Sunderland boss Allardyce to help England achieve more at worldwide tournaments. First and foremost, lead by example. You would hope the captain would make a decision on the pitch if he felt he needed to.
He said: ‘Joe has been in a hard situation and knowing him like I do he wants to play and so he has gone somewhere where he can do that.
We have to put it behind us.
New United manager Jose Mourinho has returned Rooney to the No 10 role behind the striker, and Allardyce also thinks that’s his best position.
However, speaking yesterday, Allardyce said: “Wayne’s position’s changed at Manchester United and that’s the sort of position I’d be looking to play him”. “Dele Alli has started well too, so that makes it a hard choice”, mused Allardyce. “We have a department to look at the whole situation at all areas for every global team”.
Rooney will make an appearance for his team against Slovakia in a World Cup qualifier.
“When I first came and spoke to the gaffer I said I was very grateful for the opportunity, he said “there is no need to be grateful and that if you look at your stats and what you have done, you deserve to be here”.
“Obviously I’ve been selected and I made my mind up before the Euros whether we did well or not that I’d continue so over the last few weeks I’ve had nothing to think about in terms of England”.
“In the past it’s been a case of some of the players joining up who haven’t played that much for their teams. If Jack Wilshere was playing every week for Arsenal he would be in the squad”.
Antonio began his career with Tooting & Mitcham, and was loaned out to a series of clubs during his subsequent spell at Reading, before impressing with Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest and now West Ham.
Antonio, 26, might have been in the professional system since signing for Reading eight years ago, and in the Premier League for the past 12 months, but it is not just his football that is delightfully unreconstructed. That’s down to the way he’s got them playing. But the former Bolton and Sunderland boss said he would want to entertain England fans.
“Maybe sometimes we have to dig one out here and there – let’s be resilient and tough”.
“Wayne is playing behind the front man at Manchester United”.
Advertisement
“Don’t ever feel like you can’t do it. Hopefully we can avoid it happening again”.
