Wayne Rooney gives notice on his England career after being handed captaincy
England manager Sam Allardyce announced his squad for the World Cup qualifier in Slovakia on Sunday, and subsequently confirmed that Wayne Rooney would be his captain for forthcoming campaign.
A day later, the 30-year-old announced he would be retiring from international football after the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia.
Allardyce’s squad already had notable changes from the squad that made the ill-fated trip to France in the summer.
The fall-out from that tournament may yet have far reaching implications for Joe Hart, who has fallen out of favour with new Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola since the summer.
He jetted off to Torino for a medical where he may be announced as a loan signing for the the Italian club, the first English goalkeeper to play in Serie A, on deadline transfer day tomorrow.
Allardyce had warned Hart that, although he would be named in this squad, his place was in danger if he wasn’t playing first team football.
James Milner retired from England duty while Jack Wilshere and Ross Barkley were left out. In their place came Michail Antonio, who scored a great header for West Ham at Manchester City on Sunday, and Theo Walcott.
All players capable of providing the width so sorely lacking from England’s games in France while there was also a recall for 34-year-old Phil Jagielka who was named after John Terry declined a recall to the England fold.
The changes meant that England were fielding eight defenders and nine nominal midfielders alongside three strikers, although the FA had named Rooney as a midfielder.
It would appear that Rooney, as captain, will have a team built around him as a number 10 behind a solitary striker – as it is at Manchester United.
The introduction of Walcott and Antonio suggests that Allardyce will be trying to use pace and width to help support a lone striker.
The England Squad for Slovakia World Cup 2018 qualifier
Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley)
Defenders: Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Michail Antonio (West Ham United), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Strikers: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)