Wayne Rooney’s England career may not be over just yet as Gareth Southgate wants to give him Wembley send-off
Three Lions boss also warns youngsters it's their time to step up to the plate now that skipper has called it a day
GARETH SOUTHGATE says Wayne Rooney could be given a final farewell match at Wembley.
German star Lukas Podolski was given a retirement tribute game against England in March.
Southgate said: “It’s never been done before and we have obviously had World Cup winners before.
“So other people have to make the decision but, absolutely, we should be recognising his career with England and showing appreciation.
“I know already there is discussion around that and how we may keep him involved with England just as we are talking to Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and others. There is value to that experience being passed on.
“Wayne’s been a pleasure to work with and I am sure at some point in the future there could be some involvement with England.”
Everton ace Roo has quit international football after a record 53 goals in 119 appearances. Southgate admitted the door is open to a Rooney playing return this season.
Asked if he would be tempted to pick up the phone if Rooney enjoyed a fine season, Southgate said: “I suppose we’d have to see where he was at, where the squad was at. It would be foolish to say ‘no’ because anything is possible.”
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The Three Lions boss revealed he could not promise Rooney a starting place had he been called up. He added: “Could I see him definitely starting? No, I couldn’t give that guarantee.”
Southgate has also warned England’s young stars there is no longer anywhere to hide now Rooney has left the building.
Finger-pointing has been an English tradition after each disastrous summer tournament, with David Beckham, Lampard and Gerrard getting most of the stick because they were the team’s best players.
More recently, it was England’s 53-goal record scorer and most-capped outfield player Rooney who found himself as the main target.
Yet England coach Southgate has told his team they must now take on far more responsibility, insisting any blame placed on Rooney was “unfair”.
Southgate yesterday named his squad for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia, with Leicester’s Harry Maguire and Nathaniel Chalobah of Watford getting their first call-ups.
If the team somehow makes a complete mess of qualifying — and anything is possible — then no one will be able to blame former captain Rooney, who won 119 caps.
Speaking at St George’s Park, Southgate was asked whether other players must now come forward and lead their country.
He said: “I guess they have not had to carry the responsibility that Wayne has carried, certainly since Steven retired. He’s probably had to carry that on his own. Prior to that, I still think he was carrying a lot of responsibility.
“He has done that tremendously well but now others have to grasp that initiative and responsibility. If we are going to be an outstanding team moving forward, then you need players who are going to step up in the big moments.
“Every time they play for England, they have the chance to be involved in an iconic moment, in a historic performance.
“Wayne’s been somebody it may have been easy to hide behind for people. Because he’s the one who has carried that burden. I think that’s been unfair on him. Now everybody has the chance to take the mantle. It’s not a concern. It’s an opportunity.
“In one way, there’s a tinge of sadness because, ideally as a manager, I would have liked to have managed Wayne at his peak and had to make some of the decisions I have had to make.
“The flip side of that is that I have exciting, young players who need nurturing and need the opportunity — and I have a chance to make a difference with them.
“None of them are quite where they want to be yet and the future is all ahead of them. I am talking about the guys I have brought into the squad this time but we already have young players in the squad.
“The Under-21s could have been Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Marcus Rashford. There is also Raheem Sterling, John Stones. It is a young core.”
Southgate laughed nervously when asked whether he will be remembered as the man who shot Bambi. Taking a deep breath, he said: “Well, I’ve taken no pleasure from not selecting Wayne. I would have preferred to have had a relationship with him where he was in the team all the time and playing at a world level.
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“Unfortunately I was the one who got him when he was making the decision that he’s making. I think I’ve made decisions for the right reasons and I think I’ve communicated them to him always in a respectful way. You can’t do any more than that.
“So, I sit comfortably with that but I’ve not enjoyed that. I say that because not only having played with him and respect what he’s given but also respecting the qualities that he’s got.
“My intention was to call him up but also I never assumed that when somebody has been out of the squad that that’s what they might want to do.”
As for the captaincy, Southgate has swapped it around, although Harry Kane has worn the armband for the last two matches. Long-term, Southgate wants a permanent skipper and Kane seems his obvious choice — but the uncertainty will remain for the time being.
He said: “I still look at other countries who pick the most experienced player as the captain or the most capped player on the day.
“To my mind, the more important thing is what the culture around the team is — leaders, people prepared to take responsibility.
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“We’ve got some pretty impressive characters in there who can step forward and are already showing good leadership attributes, so it is a stronger team if we have that.
“I go back to England when they won the rugby World Cup. Yes, Martin Johnson was the captain but that could have been Dallaglio, it could have been Greenwood or Dawson.
“There were any number of players in that team who were strong personalities — and we need a team of strong personalities.”
ENGLAND SQUAD
GOALKEEPERS: Butland (Stoke), Hart (West Ham), Heaton (Burnley), Pickford (Everton).
DEFENDERS: Bertrand (Southampton), Cahill (Chelsea), Cresswell (West Ham), Jones (Manchester United), Keane (Everton), Maguire (Leicester), Smalling (Manchester United), Stones (Manchester City), Trippier (Tottenham), Walker (Manchester City).
MIDFIELDERS: Dele (Tottenham), Chalobah (Watford), Dier (Tottenham), Henderson (Liverpool), Lingard (Manchester United), Livermore (West Brom), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Sterling (Manchester City).
STRIKERS: Defoe (Bournemouth), Kane (Tottenham), Rashford (Manchester United), Sturridge (Liverpool), Vardy (Leicester), Welbeck (Arsenal).