Rooney sees room for improvement
WAYNE ROONEY insists England are slowly rebuilding their international credibility after a disastrous World Cup and that opponents will be wary of them despite their failure in Brazil.
England have won seven straight games since the 0-0 draw against Costa Rica, but they face a tough test in Turin on Tuesday when they take on Italy, who beat them in Brazil.
The England captain insists that the team is making progress under Roy Hodgson, even though the victories have been recorded against less exacting opposition.
Rooney said: ‘After the World Cup we spoke and knew it would take time but we are gradually getting better.
‘You are seeing the results on the pitch but there is still a long way to go. I’m not saying we are happy with this level.
‘We will still need to improve before hopefully getting to France in 2016 but there is time to improve.
‘I think, looking at the team we have got, when we lose the ball we go and win it back quickly.
‘What we have been working on is pressing as a team from the back.
‘There are times when we have to tuck in as a team and then hit teams on the break and we have so much pace in the team, which players don’t like playing against.
‘Teams will be a bit wary about that when they play us because of the pace and ability we have.
‘I am one of the older guys in the dressing room and I have responsibility that I am enjoying as captain and with the experience I have I hope to pass that on,’ he added.
After scoring in Friday’s 4-0 win over Lithuania, Rooney is two goals short of equalling Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time goalscoring record for the national team.
And he admits he thinks about becoming England’s all-time top scorer.
‘It is always at the back of my mind, there is no getting away from it. It could be on Tuesday, it could be in the summer, or it could be after that,’ he said.
With him so close to the record, comparisons have been made between the two Manchester United greats over the respective merits of their achievements.
Even England boss Hodgson contributed to the debate last week, suggesting Rooney had played against better, more organised defences than Charlton, so his goals were worth more.
But he qualified that on Friday when he said: ‘I don’t remember Bobby Charlton taking penalties for England. But Wayne does. You batter me with these statistics but you don’t take into account things like that.
‘Bobby Charlton scored 49 goals without penalties. Maybe if he’d taken all the penalties for England, he might have ended up with 70.’
Sir Bobby scored three penalties for England whereas Rooney has four.
It could also be argued that Rooney has played against more minor nations.
Charlton had to face the much tougher proposition of the Soviet Union or Yugoslavia.
Slovenia, Lithuania and Estonia — England’s opponents in their European campaign — did not exist as football entities in his day.