Gareth Southgate claims England players have taken the easy option and hidden behind Wayne Rooney in the past.

Now he is no longer there, Southgate has challenged them to step out of his shadow and become England’s new leaders.

Former skipper Rooney’s shock retirement has left a gaping hole in Southgate’s squad when it comes to experience, pedigree and goals at the very highest level. But rather than fear how he is going to fill it, the Three Lions' boss is excited to see how the next generation grasp the opportunity in front of them.

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He said: “Wayne’s been somebody it may have been easy to hide behind for people. Because he’s the one who has carried that burden. That’s been unfair on him.

"Now everybody has the chance to take the mantle. It’s not concern, it’s opportunity. If we are going to be an outstanding team, you need players who are going to step up in the big moments, step up in games.

“Every time they play for England, they have the chance to be involved in an iconic moment in a historic performance that they have that choice, every time they go on the field now.”

Rooney has been The Man others looked to in England squads for years (
Image:
AFP/Getty)

Southgate included uncapped trio Jordan Pickford, Harry Maguire and Nathaniel Chalobah in the squad announced on Thursday to play Malta away and Slovakia at Wembley in World Cup qualifiers next week.

And he believes they join a set-up already blessed with potential talismen of the future.

“The guys I have brought into the squad this time but also we have already young players in,” Southgate said, when asked who he is looking to to fill the Rooney void.

Harry Kane currently has the armband but Southgate wants a team full of leaders (
Image:
Action Images via Reuters)

“The Under-21s could have been Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Marcus Rashford. Raheem Sterling, John Stones... It is a young core anyway. We are adding Nathaniel and Jordan to that.

“We now have an Under-21 squad with people like Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was excellent for Crystal Palace [on loan from Chelsea] at the weekend, and then we’ve got this group of Under-20 World Cup winners, so some of that is going to depend on opportunity.

“There's Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez playing for Liverpool already this season...so for me it is exciting, we are seeing some technically gifted players come through.

“Okay, they are going to need some experience around them, but also I want to give them their heads a bit and see what might be possible.”

Southgate confirmed he is no rush to name a new captain following Rooney’s retirement, after handing the armband to Harry Kane for last two games against Scotland and France.

England's rugby world champions had plenty of captains besides Martin Johnson, says Southgate (
Image:
Getty)

He said: “It’s important we spread the responsibility throughout the team. I go back to England when they won the rugby World Cup.

“Yes Martin Johnson was the captain, but that could have been Lawrence Dallaglio, it could have been Will Greenwood, Matt Dawson.

"There were any number of players in that team who were strong personalities and we need a team of strong personalities.”

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