Wayne Rooney’s place in the team might not be certain after impressive performances from Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane have given England manager Roy Hodgson a selection dilemma. The Manchester United forward has been out with a knee problem since the middle of February and is expected to return in the next 7-10 days.
But in his absence, Vardy and Kane have done really well and several reports suggest that he might not find a spot in the team guaranteed on his return. But Rooney is not worried about the competition for places and is enthusiastic about the quality the squad has.
Speaking on ITV he said, “Obviously you want to play, and it is great that that competition is now there. With the quality we have got, it is exciting to be a part of.”
The United captain takes it as a challenge rather than a struggle to claim a starting XI berth saying,“I don’t think of it in terms of needing to fight for my place. I think it is exciting. In previous tournaments, if everyone is fit, more or less the team is set. But now, no one knows what is going to happen.”
Roy Hodgson has a plethora of options in terms of attacking talent and the 30-year-old believes this will improve the tactical flexibility of the team. “The manager can play three or four teams with different combinations if he wants, because I really believe we have got that quality. It is an opportunity for us to do really well in the summer.”
But Rooney admits that the decision of him playing is up to the manager but he desperately wants to help the team as well saying,“Obviously, the decision is down to Roy Hodgson, but I want to be there, involved and trying to help and hopefully leading the team to success.”
Hodgson defends Stones’ performance
England went down by a scoreline of 2-1 at Wembley against the Netherlands last night after a poor defensive performance. John Stones has come under scrutiny for his defending after his costly slip gave Netherlands a penalty and their equaliser on the night.
But Hodgson has come out and defended the young Everton centre-back saying, “I won’t judge John on the fact he slipped over. He showed quite a lot of assurance out there.He looked assured and comfortable.”
This was the first time England conceded two goals at Wembley since 2013 when Chile won 2-0.
