“I think it’s important we’ve got exiting young players and good young players who get the rewards they deserve”, he added. “The only thing I would say – I go back to one of the things we work on with the team – in and out of possession, tactical discipline, positional discipline [is important], whatever position you play”.
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“Sam came out and said I play where I want”, said Rooney. “I didn’t deserve to play the next game, I understood that, and the team have done well, so I have to bide my time and take my chance”.
Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney believes he still has a major role to play for Manchester United this season despite being demoted to the bench in recent weeks.
The 30-year-old has expressed his dissatisfaction over Sam Allardyce’s assertion that he could play “wherever he wants” following a mixed showing as a deep-lying midfielder in the 1-0 win over Slovakia last month.
Rooney’s indifferent form has cost him his place at Old Trafford but Southgate was invited to meet England’s record scorer last week and assured him he would still have the captaincy and be a key player in the colours of the national team. I think that the British will try my game and the result of the match, at least temporarily forget about the scandal in his football and win a great victory. It is the challenge and I am determined to get back in the team at obviously club level.
“England have got a lot of good players”.
He continued: “He knew he had made a mistake”. The former Everton player also admitted that he knows the years at football has caught up with him and said, “it’s obvious I’m not as quick as I was”. I’m sure he is disappointed with himself.
When Southgate was questioned about the football corruption investigation that led to Allardyce’s departure, he said he is “involved in a sport I love and an industry that, at times, I don’t like”. “He understood that quite early and unfortunately he doesn’t have the chance to rectify that now”.
“The team have done well, certainly in the Leicester game since that”.
Former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton isn’t sure Gareth Southgate has the experience to take the England job full-time.
He helped England to the semi-finals of Euro 96 but missed the decisive penalty in a shootout loss to Germany, and concluded his playing career at Middlesbrough with a run to the UEFA Cup final – only for his sole senior managerial post with the club to end in disappointment.
“I don’t pick myself, I haven’t picked myself ever for England”.
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‘The managers that we’ve had have always made a big impact straight away, including Gareth over the past few days’. And then they can make a decision.
