Southgate tells Rooney to avoid China and US if he wants more caps

England manager leaves door open for striker Rashford inclusion in senior squad defended

Wayne Rooney’s England career is not over, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Gareth Southgate yesterday insisted that the Manchester United striker still had the opportunity to add to his 119 caps if he rediscovered his fitness and found regular first-team football next season – although not in China or the United States.

Southgate’s first press conference since the announcement of the squad to face Scotland and France next month – which was postponed by last week’s Manchester terror attacks – was again dominated not by the 25 players who had been selected, but by the one who had not.

It took four seconds for the first Rooney question to surface, and the England manager again made it clear that a record of just 15 Premier League starts out of 38 was not good enough to merit a place. So peripheral is Rooney to the current set-up that Southgate did not even deem it necessary to call him personally to inform him of his plans.

“We have been very clear,” Southgate said. “I’m very conscious that it’s always a big story when you don’t select him. Obviously, he’s not been selected as much for his club this season, so he’s not had that run of games. It appears Wayne has some decisions to make this summer, regarding next season.

“The hope is that he is back, playing really well. With a player of his quality, there is no way we would dismiss him for the future. What I do know is that you’d love to have a fit and strong Wayne Rooney in good form. He has been a fantastic player for us, and if he can reach those levels, there’s no reason why we wouldn’t select him.”

Unless Southgate has a time machine to take us all back to 2011, however, it is unlikely the Rooney of old will ever re-emerge. Southgate’s reference to a “fit and strong” Rooney was particularly pointed, given that Jermain Defoe, two years older than Rooney at 34 but in immaculate physical shape, has retained his place.

There was also a coded warning that a move to the Chinese Super League or Major League Soccer, both of which have expressed an interest in Rooney, would likely slam the door for good.

“I’ve seen bits of [MLS],” Southgate said. “It’s obviously not at the level of the Premier League. I don’t know enough about the league in China, if I’m honest. You want your players playing in the biggest possible games. That is the best test for them.”

Rooney’s absence, coupled with the gradual recession of England’s golden generation of a decade ago, has arguably created a shortage of big personalities in the England dressing room. On the other hand, Southgate saw it as an opportunity to build a stronger collective.

“People have got to start to step into those shoes,” he said. “There’s an opportunity for people here to write their own headlines, write themselves into England history. We’ve got guys who are not there in terms of a vast number of trophies, but that is going to come. Rashford has already won more than I won. Which is depressing …”

Southgate defended the decision to include Rashford in the senior squad and rest him for the European Under-21 Championship this summer, despite being a longstanding advocate of giving talented young players maximum tournament experience. He denied that Jose Mourinho, the Manchester United manager, had put pressure on him to omit Rashford.

“If I am trying to keep Jose happy, that’s going to be fairly difficult,” Southgate joked. “Respectfully, none of the managers are going to be around in 10 years, and I think people like Marcus Rashford will be. We’ve got to handle him in the right way.”

Southgate explained the role of international football in inspiring a country still grieving after the Manchester attacks.

“Sport has the opportunity to bring people together,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for people to put their troubles behind them for a bit. The right message towards terrorism is to keep doing what you’re doing.”