Rooney to clock off at 10
you’re playing around as a kid, you’re always re-enacting that you’re playing at Wembley.
“We used to call it Wembley, the game. It was one-v-one, where you would try and score and you got through to the next round. So I would always be myself, trying to be at Wembley. “With Bournemouth, there have been opportunities with playing against Tottenham away, and I’ve not been able to play. I haven’t set foot there on the pitch, so hopefully that will be for my country.” how they would like to be treated in that situation.”
Rooney will be given a grand send off and have a guard of honour involving his family before kick-off.
He will also take the armband from the captain for the night, Fabian Delph, when he joins the action.
And he will present shirts to England’s three debutantes Callum Wilson, Lewis Dunk and Alex McCarthy.
“I know last week we said it would be unlikely because he’d be on the bench, but sometimes when you have discussions and are able to think through what we stand for as a group and how we’re trying to work, in those moments it’s good for the players to have an opinion,” said Southgate.
“They’re the ones who are playing. And there’s no rule book. Who decides?
“What did strike a chord with me was one of the comments was, ‘We’ve talked about doing things our own way. We can do things our own way.’
Thinking
“Some of the things may work, others may not. But if we are going to stick to that principle, it’s good that the players are thinking not just for themselves, but what they would like to happen to them.”
Delph will lead the Three Lions for the first time, but will have no hesitation in stepping aside for Rooney once he arrives in the second half.
The Manchester City ace will become the first Yorkshireman to lead England since Kevin Keegan, and said: “When I first came into the England set-up Wayne was captain and he welcomed me, put his arm around me and made me feel at home.
“So as soon as he comes on, I will be giving him that armband back.
“We are going to be giving him a guard of honour. It is going to be a huge night for Wayne and we want to make it special for him.
“We spoke in camp and we think it is important to honour the achievements he has made throughout his career. We are really looking forward to doing that for him.”