Sunday’s World Cup qualifier between Slovakia and England will see Three Lions skipper Wayne Rooney make his 116th worldwide appearance. The ability and talent is there. ‘You can’t just forget it (Euro 2016) but it’s a new era for us.
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“He goes forward, creates a career for himself and finally ends up in the Premier League and with us in this squad”. It’s not just been with some of the players we have now. To do it more than any [other] outfield player will be great.
“It’s the manager’s decision”, added Rooney. “Hopefully he can do the same with us”.
Rooney received widespread derision from England supporters in the wake of England’s abject failure at Euro 2016, with many lambasting the striker for his muted performance in the defeat to Iceland. “People can say whether they want you in the team, don’t want you in the team, whether you should retire”. You can only go by what they’re telling you. It would not be a surprise if, at some point, Sam Allardyce leaves him on the bench for a big game.
“Having worldwide experience with the under-21s will be invaluable for us later down the line”, Allardyce said. The managers and players haven’t found out why, but Sam will try to find out why it’s happening.
“I’ve seen players retired, get two or three days off during the week, but that’s not really that appealing to me”. But Rooney, who won his first cap under Sven-Goran Eriksson in February 2003, believes he still has something to offer, playing in the No10 role and as captain. “The door will always be open for Ross, but at this moment I felt the squad I picked is the right one”. “I’ve spent my whole life -playing football and I think it would be a shame to walk away from it completely. I’ve enjoyed some highs and some lows but I am an immensely proud man”.
“I’ve had a fantastic global career so far and played a lot of games and enjoyed every minute but at some point it’s going to come to an end”.
“I made my mind up before the Euros, whether we did well or didn’t do well, that I would continue after the tournament. Hopefully I can end my time with England on a high”, he said (via ESPN and BBC). Rooney, as captain, shouldered much of the subsequent blame and Hodgson fell on his sword in the immediate aftermath of one of the country’s most infamous losses.
Wayne Rooney’s worldwide career with England is winding down.
“So, 15 years is a lot of time and I will be 34 by the next tournament and it is time to quit”.
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“Right after the tournament, with all the questions on whether I should stop playing, I said I wanted to continue”, he said.
