Wayne Rooney announced yesterday that he has retired from international football. The announcement comes after a conversation with England boss Gareth Southgate. The Three Lions boss was reportedly set to recall Rooney to the national squad after a short exile for the forward.
Rooney has decided to leave the international game on his terms. The 31-year-old knew he would not be first choice and decided the time was right to leave the international arena.
Rooney was a very good player for England
Many have asked questions about Wayne Rooney’s England career. The critics accused him of underperforming. However, he is England’s record goalscorer having scored 53 goals in 119 appearances for the Three Lions.
England have underperformed on the international stage many times in recent years. The fans like to look for a scapegoat and Rooney has been it in the last decade.
The press always needs to find a player to turn into a hero, so further along the line, they can knock them down. It is what sells newspapers and has people visiting football websites (yes, I see the irony).
He may not have reached the heights of his club career in an England shirt, but he has still performed well for England over the years.
Rooney has never claimed that he is the best player in the world. The experienced forward is just a working class lad that had talent and worked hard to make the most of his talent. Rooney loves the game, no matter what his critics try to level at him.
The move to Everton has revived his career
There is no doubt that Wayne Rooney’s career was going stale at Manchester United. The forward was no longer a first-choice player or the influential figure he had been in his younger days.
A move back to boyhood club Everton was a no-brainer. He could not have asked for a better move. Rooney moved back to a club he undoubtedly loves and he continues to play football at a high level.
The Toffees are an ambitious club, but a number of their players are young. The team also has very little experience of success or winning silverware. Rooney adds a winning mentality to the Everton team, a football knowledge that can only help the team develop.
Players once again look up to him and he is once again an important figure in the team. Rooney did not move back home just to retire, though. From his first few appearances, it seems he is working as hard as he can for the team.
Rooney also looks like he is enjoying the game again. At United, it became tiresome, as the press constantly questioned boss Jose Mourinho about why Rooney was not playing or why he was. It became a distraction to everybody at Old Trafford.
Rooney can now concentrate on Everton
Retiring from international football will give the forward a chance to concentrate on being successful with Everton. There will be no speculation over whether he will or will not be in England’s next squad.
The 31-year-old has made a bright start to his second stint in the royal blue of Everton. The former United star has scored two goals in as many games in the Premier League and looks in better shape than he has done for a long time.
If anybody wants an outside bet for the Premier League Golden Boot Award this season, then Rooney may not be a terrible pick at odds of 40/1.
I do believe that Wayne Rooney would be the first to admit that he is not the player he was four or five years ago. However, he is only human and is ageing like any other player. Unfortunately, for him in football terms, he is more like 35 due to when he started his career.
Rooney is far from finished, though, and the early signs of his Everton career suggest that he could well prove to be a massive catalyst for Everton to be successful in the future.
Was Wayne Rooney right to retire from international football?
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