Yorke backs Rooney after Capello stoush

Dwight Yorke has come out in support of Wayne Rooney, who was criticised by Fabio Capello for his performances at Euro 2012.

The former England boss had claimed the striker ‘only understands Scottish’, given he has starred under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United but has not replicated that form for his country.

Rooney had earlier said that some of Capello’s tactical instructions had been ‘lost in translation’, and that communication between new manager Roy Hodgson and the players has been much clearer.

“I don’t understand Scottish either,” Yorke said. “I think Rooney said something and Capello replied to it. There’s not much more to it than that.

The former Aston Villa striker believes racism in English football has diminished considerably since he started playing in the country, and said harsh penalties had helped weed out offenders.

“I have lived in England for 24 years,” Yorke said. “Football has gone a long way in rooting out racism. There are still some incidents but I’m pretty sure FIFA are looking into it. I think it is being taken very seriously.”