Roy Hodgson has praised Wayne Rooney’s impact in his relatively unfamiliar midfield brief at the European Championship to date and believes his captain can impose more influence on England’s performances in the role.
Rooney had flourished in a Paul Scholes-like position at Manchester United over the final few months of Louis van Gaal’s tenure at the club, with his performance in the FA Cup final win over Crystal Palace a demonstration of his ability to dominate contests from deep. The 30-year-old had never previously been employed in midfield for England but, after discussions with Hodgson, started in a central three against Russia in Marseille last Saturday.
His calm authority has stood out in both fixtures with England’s record goalscorer driving the side on and setting the tempo of their attacks in partnership with Dele Alli and the holding player, Eric Dier.
“Everyone knows what Dele is about,” said Hodgson. “He is still young, he does some great things, and he loses it from time to time in situations when you might prefer him to keep it. Eric Dier has shown incredible maturity and goes from strength to strength. But the one who really deserves a pat on the back is Wayne Rooney.
“We thought, if we could get him being Wayne Rooney doing his job back there, we’d get a lot out of it. We’ll get a goalscorer from distance, we’ll get a passer and we’ll get the benefit of his experience and his captaincy.
“In the two games, [the performances of] Dier and Dele Alli I was half expecting, Wayne was one where I had to wait and see what he would be like. And he’s shown work-rate, desire and composure. He’s been one of the guys prepared to stay on the ball that little bit longer and make the extra pass, and not be tempted to search for the killer pass or shot.”
It remains to be seen whether Rooney can be as influential against one of the tournament’s elite teams should England progress into the latter stages, but the early signs are promising, with Hodgson convinced the move is part of a natural evolution. “There is always going to be a time, especially as these young bucks come on the scene who run like gazelles and sprint like the wind, when players think: ‘Maybe it is time for me to move back a little bit,’” said the manager. “It is not a surprise that the situation has occurred, but we would always be prepared to use him as a front player still.
“There is more competition for places at the front with what we’ve got, but I wouldn’t hesitate. At periods during the game against Wales we thought about swapping him and Adam Lallana over, which we could easily do.”
Rooney will start once again in midfield against Slovakia on Monday as England seek the victory that will win Group B and secure a knockout tie against a third-placed rival at Parc des Princes.
Daniel Sturridge is expected to replace Harry Kane up front in Saint-Étienne, with the Tottenham Hotspur forward to benefit from a rest, while Jamie Vardy could also potentially earn inclusion after his goalscoring cameo in Lens. Hodgson must decide whether Alli is also in need of a breather and, regardless, will be tempted to include Jack Wilshere in his midfield trio alongside Dier and Rooney as he attempts to make the team more inventive in possession.
“Moments like that last-minute winner [against Wales] can change tournaments,” Hodgson said. “The win gives you a damn good chance of getting out of the group anyway. Get a good result against Slovakia and we have a good chance of finishing top. We are covering all the matches with our scouts, but my message to the players is simple: we need to go out and win this one against Slovakia as well.”
