Gareth Southgate has given a huge hint that he will no longer consider Wayne Rooney as the automatic captain of the England team.
Southgate, who was named permanent England manager last November, has left Rooney out of the forthcoming games against Germany and Lithuania even though he could return from a knee injury for Manchester United this weekend.
Rooney has worn the England armband for the last two years, but has struggled for form and fitness this season.
The 31-year-old has become a fringe member of Manchester United’s first team, while Southgate chose not to start him in a World Cup qualifier against Slovenia in October.
Rooney’s last outing with England was in the 3-0 win over Scotland four months ago. But it was overshadowed after he was accused of drinking heavily with hotel guests at the team hotel following the match.
Southgate is considering changing the nature of the role and explained: “We have this thing about ‘an England captain’, but really the captain is the person that is captain in the next game, isn’t it? Or the game on the next day.
“The key for me is how do we develop more leaders? It’s not something I think too much about really.
“I guess there’s almost a figurehead position and then I have to make a decision for every game based on who’s playing. You might have that at a club, but international’s different.”
When asked if that meant Rooney doesn’t just keep the title of ‘England captain’, he added: “I don’t quite know who gives it and what it means. I think it’s a really good question and probably something I need to go and have a think about!
“I always just assume you pick a team for a game and the captain of that game is the captain. I think that’s why you need a leadership group because if a player is injured and your captain’s not around, who comes and knocks on the door and asks for jelly babies in the afternoon or whatever it is?!
“For me that’s why you need a group of not just senior players, because some younger ones could go in and start to drive some of the conversations and the culture around the team.
“But it’s probably something moving forward that’s one of the areas we have to think about.”
Rooney’s lack of starts for Manchester United – he has been named in the first XI for the Premier League just nine times – has put his place as an England starter under threat.
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