Rooney still our skipper
might earn his wages in Italy’s Serie A these days, but no one is more patriotic than him and he showed a touch of class in the tunnel before kick-off, swapping places with Jermain Defoe to allow the veteran striker to walk first onto the pitch with young mascot Bradley Lowery, who is bravely battling cancer.
Southgate doesn’t have a permanent captain and wants to share the leadership and responsibility throughout the squad. The fact Hart had little or nothing to do against Lithuania sort of proved his manager’s point.
People will argue that he is ridiculing and devaluing the role, one which is supposed to be the pinnacle for any English footballer.
But having a permanent captain would also mean that person would have to be picked in the team and no one – not even Harry Kane or Dele Alli – deserves that privilege.
Players at this level shouldn’t need to look elsewhere for inspiration, leadership or be told what to do in a crisis. They should be able to cope with those demands themselves.
In a previous role in life, FA chief executive Martin Glenn once ruthlessly axed ‘Captain Birdseye’ sticking the bearded mariner, who launched a million kids’ mealtimes, into dry dock.
Glenn wasn’t much of a fan of nostalgia and neither, it seems, is Southgate.
So the armband will continue to be chucked around the dressing room and whoever happens to catch it will lead his side out into battle.
Instead, Southgate wants all 11 of his stars to step up to the plate.
It will be a test of collective leadership and he knows if they fail, the chances are England will continue to struggle against opposition stronger than Lithuania.
From Page 1 scorer faces a fight just to get back in the England squad as he struggles for playing time at United.
In his absence, Jermain Defoe and Jamie Vardy scored the goals which sunk Lithuania, while Harry Kane, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck are also gunning for places in the squad.
But Paul Scholes claims his former United and England team-mate is far from finished at international level.
Scholes said: “Wayne has been a sensational footballer for England and Manchester United for nearly 15 years.
“He is greatly respected and I still think he has a part to play with United and England.
“He has great experience, can pass knowledge on to young players and it’s up to Gareth if and when he wants to use it.
“I don’t want to talk about him going to another English club, I hope he gets himself back into the United team.
“He has a fight on his hands but the Wayne Rooney I know is someone who will face that challenge and try to do it.
“There’s been a lot of speculation over where he goes now.
“But Wayne, with what he’s done, has earned the right to do what he wants to do. I hope he does stay and fight.”
England took another big step towards qualifying for next summer’s finals despite failing to wow a 77,690 crowd.
Hart said: “It wasn’t pretty was it? But we got the goals we wanted. I thought they were a better team than maybe they gave themselves credit for.
“They were quite happy not conceding many and then seeing what happens. They are frustrating afternoons for everyone I’m sure.
“We appreciate the crowd, especially on Mother’s Day.
“We would love to have scored five or six but we didn’t.
“But we won the game, we are top of the group and our goal is Russia.”