Over the years, Rooney’s position has come under scanner with several managers deploying him both as a forward and a midfielder.
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‘I made my mind up before the Euros, whether we did well or not, that I was going to continue. “But you have to make these decisions”. Once I’ve reached one target, I always search for another.
Looking to put his own stamp on the national team, Allardyce has recalled winger Theo Walcott and also picked an uncapped wide player in Michail Antonio of West Ham. It’s widely believed that England’s players have the talent, but are mentally fragile on the big stage – and that’s what Allardyce has set about changing after taking over from Roy Hodgson in July.
Antonio joined West Ham from Nottingham Forest for £7m in 2015 having played for Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton since starting his career at non-league Tooting & Mitcham. Antonio moved to West Ham a year ago and has impressed as a right-sided midfielder, especially in the air. We have bad memories from the last game (against Iceland), obviously. “I’m excited by the players involved at the moment and, although there have been questions about my future, I said straight after the Euros that I wanted to still be involved”, he added. It shows how much it means if you’ve got guts, determination and desire. We’ve only had one training session so it has just been a matter of getting on the training pitch and seeing what ideas he’s going to bring. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has displaced 18-year-old Rashford up front at United. “I’m just trying to get them done while I’m still playing really”.
Many Manchester United fans will be glad to hear news of Rooney’s worldwide exit, knowing it means they might yet see their captain preserve his club career for several years thanks to that decision. And let’s do what we need to do to get the result, something like Manchester United against Hull City.
“I’m still feeling -capable of doing a good job for England”, Rooney said. “It’s no problem for me to take him out, no problem for him to be out”, Mourinho told the Manchester Evening News after the match.
Remarkably, England have not lost a World Cup or Euro qualification game since 2009, and Rooney claims their recurring failure to deliver in finals is more down to psychological issues than lack of technique.
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Sam Allardyce is keen to the leave the door open for foreign-born players.
