Rooney’s ‘not finished’
GA R E TH Southgate insists Wayne Rooney’s England career is not over and has been puzzled by any suggestions to the contrary.
This has been a chastening year for the 31-year-old forward as restricted playing time has led onlookers to not only query his role for the national side and Manchester United but his future at the top level.
Talk of a possible Old Trafford exit rumbles on, so too whether there is a place for the country’s all-time record scorer in Southgate’s remodelled England set-up.
Lukas Podolski’s farewell match in Germany on Wednesday sparked talk of a warm Wembley send-off for Rooney – a conversation that Southgate says is far too premature.
“He’s absolutely [in my thinking],” the England boss said of the 119-cap forward. “I didn’t quite understand why we were talking about tributes when he has still got every chance of being in this team. There’s no reason why he is finished with us.”
That was the most forthright Southgate has been about Rooney during an international break in which he has deployed an aggressive, high-tempo attack that it would seem difficult to shoehorn the former Everton player into.
The England manager’s move away from the notion of a permanent captain also raised questions over Rooney’s future, fuelled for some by the United man’s non-attendance at Monday’s meeting at St George’s Park where Southgate outlined his vision.
“It was no problem,” Southgate said of Rooney’s absence. “The more important thing was those guys felt they’d been invited. We need a bigger squad. It just means I’ll have to put a few more miles on the clock going round and seeing them.”
Southgate last week mentioned game time as well as fitness when quizzed on Rooney’s absence for the friendly in Germany and Sunday’s World Cup qualifier against Lithuania.
The forward is not alone in finding minutes restricted but the England manager says that will not necessarily rule players out.
“The ideal scenario is that [players will be playing regularly], but we have got 70 English players playing in the Premier League,” Southgate said. “In an ideal world, you have all your players playing and playing at the highest possible level and playing in Europe and everything else. But we have got to be open-minded because we want the right characters through the door and there are moments when a player isn’t playing for his club, like with Luke [Shaw], where you think this might just give him a bit of a lift, a boost.
“I don’t want to have a hard and fast rule because I might break that in the future at some point.”
United left-back Shaw seems a prime example. The youngest player to feature at the 2014 World Cup, the 21-year-old has made just three appearances in 2017 – and one of those came off the bench in Dortmund on Wednesday.
Jose Mourinho has regularly overlooked Shaw despite him being fit since mid-January, but Southgate was keen to avoid a clubversus-country row.
“That’s for him and his club to deal with,” Southgate said. “Luke’s sole focus has got to be how can he get himself back in the team.” JOHN O’SHEA believes he was fortunate not to suffer the same fate as Seamus Coleman after finding himself on the wrong end of a Gareth Bale challenge.
Seconds before Republic of Ireland skipper Coleman was left with a double leg fracture during Friday night’s 0-0 World Cup qualifying draw with Wales, the Sunderland defender was caught high and late by Real Madrid star Bale.
Bale was booked and O’Shea was able to play on, but later had several stitches put into a wound on his shin.
The 35-year-old, who will now miss Tuesday night’s friendly against Iceland, said: “I’m walking away from it, which is no problem.
“I’ve had plenty of stitches put in there. I was lucky considering what has happened to Seamus. On another night there could have been two red cards.”
Wales boss Chris Coleman later launched a passionate defence of both Bale and Neil Taylor, who was sent off for his foul on Coleman.
He said: “When you play England, Scotland or Wales, games are like that. They are the ones you play in.
“In a derby, you’re going to expect some tasty tackles but, as I said, within reason.
“There’s no problem getting a hard tackle - but if it’s late, it’s a different story.”
O’Shea said: “Hopefully Seamus comes back as strong as ever.”