Former England captain: Rooney should have retired
Date published: Tuesday 6th September 2016 6:39
Former England captain Peter Shilton believes Wayne Rooney should have retired from national team duty after Euro 2016.
The 30-year-old Manchester United forward has announced his intention to hang up his England boots after the 2018 World Cup in Russia – but Shilton feels he should already have done so.
Retired goalkeeper Shilton, whose England record of 125 caps is likely to be broken by Rooney, told BBC Scotland:
“I don’t think he’s a striker any more.
“He is spraying a few balls around, but I don’t think he’s being very effective.
“I thought he should have retired after the Euros. It’s not because he could break my record. Far from it. If he does and he plays well, fine.”
Rooney made his 116th international appearance during Sunday’s World Cup qualifier against Slovakia, passing David Beckham to become England’s most-capped outfield player.
Rooney’s role in the England side has been the source of much speculation, with the team captain – a striker for most of his career – starting in a withdrawn role against Slovakia before dropping deeper following the second-half introduction of Dele Alli.
Rooney, England’s record scorer with 53 goals, believes he can do a good job in that role but Shilton, 66, said: “We are trying to fit him in, but he’s not a midfield player for me. Never will be.”
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