“I’ve said to United I want to stay there, finish my career there, so it’s a case of sitting down with United when the time’s right”.
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Alan Shearer, who ended his worldwide career at 30 after Euro 2000, claimed earlier this week that Rooney should call time on his England commitments now and follow his example, and that of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, by focusing exclusively on his club career.
There has been penalty shoot-out heartache and pre-tournament metatarsal breaks, but nothing has stung quite so painfully as the Euro 2016 defeat against Iceland in Nice.
“I have had a fantastic worldwide career so far, played a lot of games and enjoyed every minute, but at some point it is going to come to an end”, Rooney said.
“I’m looking forward to getting back on the pitch”. Surely if you’re going to win something and that player is of the calibre to force his way into that side then you give him an opportunity?
“I made my mind up before the Euros, whether we did well or didn’t do well, that I would continue after the tournament. I obviously, hopefully, want to finish my career at United”.
“I said I’m available for selection”, he said.
Rooney will overtake David Beckham on Sunday to become his country’s most capped outfield player. “I’m a player who’s going to get it and I’m going to run at the full-back”, he said. Hopefully, I can end my time with England on a high. I’ve had nothing to think about since then. We went to Switzerland away [in the first qualification tie for Euro 2016] and got a good victory and a good result and that was really the start for us to moving on and going on to a good qualifying campaign. A new manager. I seem to say that after every tournament.
Allardyce has already said he plans to use Rooney in the “No 10” role that United manager Jose Mourinho has restored him to.
“In March, they said they wanted me to come and play for them but I said I feel like I could possibly get into the England set-up”.
“His journey is something that deserves to be in this squad and me to have a look at as a potential player going forward”, Allardyce said.
“Certain things have happened in my life where it has been insane touch-and-go situations, but it has let me know that, even if there are going to be hard times, there’s always a bright side to everything”.
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“I have only cried once and I almost cried when I found out I had been called up”, he added.
