Kane toiled on frontline, but Roy had to be bolder ...and start with Vardy

the years – but I do know for all his superstar status, he’s a proper decent bloke . . . and that’s not just because he’s a Scouser.

We come from different parts of the city and, of course, he is a Blue.

Granted I used to be, but that stopped a long time ago – even before they started throwing pies at me!

I’m basing my judgement on his character, and his influence on the team.

Rooney is a leader, but he’s also one of the lads.

Nothing that has happened to him has changed him, he’s still true to himself and down to earth, and that commands a lot of respect in the dressing room.

You could see it out there on the pitch against Russia, he pulled all the strings, with the young lads always looking for him. At tournaments, you need players that the rest will look up to and follow. We had a few during Euro ’96, and Tony Adams was incredible during that time – even though he had plenty of critics; and I know Rooney (left, bottom) is that figure in this squad. It’s nonsense when people say that he shouldn’t start for England. In the first half alone in Marseille, he destroyed that argument. He should be straight in the side, but I think England still have to try and play to their strengths, which quite clearly right now is Kane and Vardy. And the problem there isn’t Rooney, it’s the system – they’ve tried to shoehorn players into a certain formation, instead of using one to get the best from their incredibly talented forwards.

I’m a big fan of the split- striker diamond.

It didn’t work against Portugal, but that’s because they didn’t operate it properly.

Roy has to be bold and go with Kane and Vardy up, with Rooney just behind, and Dier doing the holding.

Then you can have the likes of Dele Alli and Sterling making their runs as they did so well last night.

The attacking full-backs we have got can provide width.

And with that front three, we can let opponents worry about possibly the best set of forwards in Europe right now.

Let’s be bolder, braver, and show everyone what we’re really about.