Roy Hodgson won’t leave Wayne Rooney behind for Euros but warns England skipper he must battle
WAYNE ROONEY is assured a Euro 2016 spot but must fight for his starting place.
England boss Roy Hodgson insists his skipper will not be picked for the opener against Russia on sentiment.
Hodgson said: “Wayne Rooney has got to get fit, he has got to get playing and when Wayne Rooney gets in the squad he has got to get in front of other players again.”
Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy stated their cases against Germany and Holland.
Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck are also fit again. And Hodgson added: “He would not expect me to give him a position on sentiment, on his past record or the fact he’s the captain.”
Hodgson is adamant public opinion will not pressure him into dropping Roo from the squad entirely.
He added: “It would take a lot before I say that to Wayne after his captaincy.”
If Rooney is fit for before the season ends, then he is a cert to be in the Euro 2016 squad.
Hodgson said: “Jamie Vardy’s scoring and doing well, Harry Kane’s scoring and doing well.
“With Daniel Sturridge and Welbeck now fit again, with Raheem Sterling to come back, the competition is a lot fiercer than even two years ago.
“But I have no thoughts at the moment of jettisoning Wayne Rooney and I certainly wouldn’t do it because I fear people might be thinking I am cautious.”
There is a wave of optimism following the 3-2 win in Germany with Vardy and Kane both on the scoresheet.
There followed a debate on whether Hodgson would be “brave enough” to leave out Rooney for France.
But Hodgson added: “Wayne has grown in the role. He has performed his function as captain extremely well, so we’re very happy with that.
“He has taken the task very seriously and his major concern now will be to get fit enough and playing well enough to come to the tournament in top condition. He’s a very good captain. He’s a very good character.
“If you really want to know, ‘Who is Wayne Rooney?’ I’d look back over his career and his 108 caps and his 50 goals and all his goals for Manchester United and form an opinion then.
“I don’t know why we are talking about whether he is a talisman or this or that. He is the captain and has been for the last two years and done extremely well.
“Most teams, if they are any good as teams, they don’t throw their captain out the first time a young player comes on the team and scores a goal.
“Unless the captain for some reason is playing so badly or doing so badly there is a clear reason. Rooney has never given us any reasons to do that and I expect him to get back to fitness.
“I expect him to start playing well again and be on the plane to France. Then I expect him to accept, like all the others, that he has to play well enough to get in the team.”
Hodgson is uncertain on when his skipper, 30, will return from a knee injury picked up in February.
Rooney has been in a knee brace and is still not in full training, with United only having eight more Premier League games this season.
Hodgson said: “I speak to him fairly regularly. He is waiting to be given the green light to go back and train with the team, but I believe that is not too far.”