England return 'always open' for Wayne Rooney, says Gareth Southgate

Alex Young @alexwsyoung24 August 2017

England manager Gareth Southgate has left the door open for Wayne Rooney to return to the international fold after announcing his retirement on Wednesday.

Rooney has ended his national team career at the age of 31 with a record of 53 goals in 119 appearances, having become the Three Lions' all-time record goalscorer in September 2015.

Southgate had hoped to include Rooney in his squad for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia has now says he will always welcome the former skipper back into the squad.

"I said the door was always open and because of the way he has been playing at the beginning of the season he is in the right frame of mind, that's why I made the call this time," Southgate told reporters.

"I don't see why you ever shut the door on anything as players."

Southgate said if Rooney had won an international trophy he would have been regarded as a legend.

"I guess the only other thing he could do was win something internationally and if we are judging it solely on that then only the guys who won in 1966 are elevated to that status, but he's done everything else with England, captained his country for so long.

"He has represented his country with incredible pride and has kept coming back even when there has been a lot of criticism towards him, and his level of performance has been outstanding.

"I've got huge respect for him. I was fortunate enough to play with him and then to manage him and throughout what was a difficult period because of the decisions I was having to make he has accepted that with incredible humility. He has been a pleasure to work with."