Allardyce makes Rooney wait on captaincy
New England manager Sam Allardyce will take his time before deciding if Wayne Rooney continues as captain.
Rooney, England’s all-time leading scorer, led England at Euro 2016 in France, where they lost 2-1 to Iceland in the round of 16. The humiliating defeat prompted Roy Hodgson to resign as coach.
Having helped Sunderland avoid relegation from the Premier League last season, the 61-year-old Allardyce quit the club to replace Hodgson, and held his first news conference in London yesterday.
Asked if Rooney would be his captain, Allardyce said it was ‘‘far too early’’ to decide. He added that he first needs to meet with his players and staff before England’s qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup begins in September.
Allardyce said he ‘‘fits the chair’’ and can turn around the country’s fortunes after a torrid Euro 2016 exit.
‘‘The most important thing is we qualify [for the World Cup], then we can go into more in depth levels as to how we can produce better results in a tournament,’’ Allardyce said.
‘‘It’s not potential any more, it’s got to be reality now.
‘‘These young players have had a lot of experience now, even though some of those experiences have been pretty bitter. But that could be a great help in making sure they don’t feel like that again,’’ said Allardyce.
‘‘Potential is a word I don’t like to use too much because this is the England first team and you want the players to be producing top quality in every single game.’’
Allardyce has a reputation for turning around struggling clubs but has never won any domestic silverware.
However, he rejected suggestions his style relied on playing route-one football, highlighting his work at Sunderland last season when he saved them from relegation.
‘‘Style of play has always been a tag for me I can’t shake,’’ said Allardyce, adding that manmanagement was his main attribute.
‘‘I’ve managed some world-class players. I think I have got the experience to challenge this England team and myself. I think I can create a good environment.
‘‘Five Premier League clubs has given me a huge amount of experience, nobody in the Premier League has managed five Premier League clubs.
‘‘Man management is my biggest asset, to help players enjoy themselves and be better than they already are. It worked everywhere else I’ve been.’’
Allardyce extolled his expertise in turning around clubs quickly but said he did not think England were at ‘‘rock bottom’’. ‘‘What we all want is a successful England team and that will be the biggest challenge in my long career.’’