Roy left to Roo switch
58 Sunday Mail
Roy Hodgson is convinced English football has not seen the last of Wayne Rooney.
And the Crystal Palace boss regrets him heading for DC United when the 32-year- old still has much to offer at home.
Hodgson would have loved to sign the striker when it became known he did not figure in the longterm plans of Everton and their new gaffer Marco Silva.
Indeed, the ex-England boss is delighted his Eagles aren’t facing the man he gave the Three Lions armband to, at Goodison today.
Rooney’s strike in DC’s 1- 0 win over Toronto on Thursday made it six goals in his last five games.
And Hodgson said: “He left England too early. He still has much to offer.
“He is doing fantastically well. At DC they were well down in the league when he got there but he has been fantastic. Not just scoring goals but decisive goals, l ike the one we saw in midweek. There is no doubt the talent he has and he is showing he could still play top-level English football.
“But it was his decision and af ter Manchester United and Everton, where he had tremendous affinity, deep roots, maybe he would not have been that interested in playing for another club.
“It was a conscious decision to play abroad. I have a great deal of respect for Wayne and I think he does for me.
“I would have loved him here at Palace but he thought long and hard about his decision and without a shadow of a doubt would have talked it over with his family because he is very much a family man.
“They probably decided at this stage of their lives this was what they needed.
“But all good players who want to play for Palace are always welcome – should we be able to afford them.
“We don’t score enough goals, simple as that. But these fixtures are what we need to prove we are a Premier League side.”