Wayne Rooney’s hot form sparks plea for England recall from Everton team-mates but pundits disagree
Defenders Michael Keane and Phil Jagielka want him to return - but Geoff Hurst and Darius Vassell want no going back
WAYNE ROONEY'S form has been a big talking point after the striker came off the bench to score his second in two games against Manchester City.
After his return to Everton he has looked a rejuvenated force, but these top stars are split over whether he should be picked for England.
YES: Say Michael Keane and Phil Jagielka
MICHAEL KEANE and Phil Jagielka can only hope for an England call, writes KEN LAWRENCE.
But when it comes to Everton pal Wayne Rooney getting the good news from Three Lions chief Gareth Southgate, they believe there should be no such crossing of fingers.
For the centre-backs reckon a decision to put Roo in the squad for next month’s World Cup qualifiers with Malta and Slovakia, which will be named tomorrow, is a no–brainer for the England boss.
Southgate, who has left Roo out of his last two set-ups, is, however, thinking hard about bringing the 31-year-old back into the Three Lions fold.
Rooney has been rejuvenated by his move from Manchester United to boyhood club Everton — scoring in the 1-0 win over Stoke and Monday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City.
The goal at the Etihad was his 200th in the Premier League, a feat only previously achieved by Alan Shearer.
Keane, a clubmate of Rooney again after looking up to him when a youngster at Old Trafford, insisted: “I think he deserves to be back, the way he has been playing.
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“That is up to the manager and there are a lot of good strikers who have been scoring goals so it is his decision.”
Goodison manager Ronald Koeman has talked up the importance of Rooney helping to educate his youngsters.
Keane 24, with two caps to his name, might almost be making a similar case to Southgate as he says: “I’m just hoping I get the call.
“But when it comes to Wayne, he is the one talking before we go out, geeing the lads up, giving bits of advice.
“He has been there before and done it all. Just little tactical things for the team.
“If he has something to say to you individually he will come over to you and when he speaks, everybody listens.”
Jagielka, 35, would like to think he has one last hurrah in him for his country.
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He is not quite as full of hope as his defensive partner but the Everton captain, who leads his team to Split for tomorrow’s Europa League second-leg qualifier, also backs Roo’s return.
The 40-times capped centre-back said: “Wayne has been our best player throughout and he looks fit and sharp.
“I have been lucky enough to play with Wayne a number of times and he looks as hungry as ever.
“I’d like to think I can still get a chance but he is younger than me and has more goals to go for. If England come knocking, I’m sure he’ll be happy.”
Rooney has not played for his country since November of last year, when England smashed Scotland 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley. He was then pictured drinking at the team hotel.
And it seemed the Three Lions’ record goalscorer was not going to get the chance to add to his 53-goal tally as he slipped down the pecking order with club and country.
Southgate was at the Etihad on Monday and saw Rooney run 11km — more than any of his Toffees team-mates.
As Rooney, 32 in October, said: “Not bad for someone who is not fit any more and can’t get about the pitch!”
Tomorrow, Roo will discover if he has run back into Southgate’s plans.
NO: Say Geoff Hurst Hurst and Darius Vassell
WORLD CUP-winner Sir Geoff Hurst believes Wayne Rooney should not be brought back into the England set-up, writes JORDAN DAVIES.
Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate will announce his squad tomorrow ahead of their World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia in early September.
Rooney, who will be 32 in October, is looking to rekindle his international career after making the switch from Manchester United to boyhood club Everton this summer.
His last appearance for his country was against Scotland in a World Cup qualifier in November 2016.
He was then stripped of the captaincy in March 2017 after Southgate left him out of the 26-man squad to face Germany and Lithuania.
But Southgate was at the Etihad on Monday night to see England’s most-capped player — with 119 appearances — score Everton’s opener and play a starring role in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City.
The strike was Rooney’s 200th Premier League goal, becoming only the second to reach the milestone after former England strike star Alan Shearer, who has bagged 260 goals.
But Hurst, the hero of 1966, feels the striker’s time is up on the international stage.
He said: “First of all, he has been a fantastic player for club and country — he has had an outstanding career.
“But as the saying goes, ‘Old Father Time catches up with all us’.
“If I was in Gareth’s position, I would not select him for the national team.
“The time comes when you have to step aside, even if he is playing regularly at Everton, which we all hope he will do.
“He was not a regular at Manchester United and, as my old coach Sir Alf Ramsey used to say, ‘You have to be playing regularly at the top level in order to be selected’.
“I would use the same criteria today, even though the game has changed since then. I would not select him.”
Darius Vassell, Rooney’s former England strike partner, believes it would be a mistake if Southgate performed a U-turn and came calling.
Former Aston Villa hotshot Vassell, who played alongside Rooney during Sven Goran Eriksson’s reign and won 22 caps, also feels the time is not right to bring him back into the fold.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Vassell said: “I’d love to see Wayne back in an England shirt, but I’m not sure it’s going to be the best thing for England.
“Wayne has an opportunity now to focus on his football. To focus on one thing, the Premier League.
“If England don’t come knocking, he can then focus on what he is doing and what he is doing best.
“That was the mentality he had when he first got picked by England.”
Sir Geoff Hurst was speaking at the McDonald’s & FA Community Football Day at Abraham Moss Warriors JFC in Manchester, celebrating 15 years of McDonald’s partnering with the four UK Home Nations & supporting grassroots football. For more information visit www.mcdonalds. co.uk/betterplay
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