Rooney ‘doesn’t deserve’ to have place questioned – Roy

Mark Holmes
Wayne Rooney: Says he has a few years left at top level

Wayne Rooney: Says he has a few years left at top level

Roy Hodgson says Wayne Rooney “doesn’t deserve” to have his place in the England side questioned after the Three Lions’ win in Germany.

Rooney only missed the game in Berlin because of a knee injury, but it had been suggested long before Saturday’s memorable come-from-behind win that England may be better off without their skipper, who has scored only seven Premier League goals for Manchester United this season.

Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy on the other hand are enjoying fine campaigns for title-chasing Tottenham and Leicester City respectively, with the debate over Rooney’s place intensifying after the pair both scored against Germany.

Hodgson, however, has given his backing to the 30-year-old.

“It doesn’t please me too much that it is suggested now that the moment he gets injured and doesn’t play he gets jettisoned in some way,” Hodgson said when asked if Rooney would now find it difficult to get back into the side.

“I haven’t given a thought to that. I’m too busy enjoying the fact that Danny Welbeck came back and did well, Vardy came on and did well and Kane I thought was excellent throughout the game.

“I will enjoy that for the minute and I’m pretty sure when Wayne is fit and comes back we will assess the situation. I’m not spending any time thinking about that.

“I have to repeat, he is our captain and he has captained the team extremely well in the last two years. He took us through a qualifying campaign where we had a complete success with 10 wins out of 10.

“He certainly doesn’t deserve that (to have his place questioned) and when he comes back and he is fit again he is going to be putting enormous pressure on these players, just like these players will be putting enormous pressure on him, and that is the situation we are looking forward to.”