London : All-time top-scorer Wayne Rooney was on Thursday left out of the England squad for next month’s World Cup qualifier against Scotland and a friendly against France.
The 31-year-old striker has lost his place at Manchester United and was similarly omitted from Gareth Southgate’s England squad announced in March, although he was carrying a knee injury at the time, but is now fit.
Rooney, who made a brief appearance in Manchester United’s Europa League final win over Ajax in Stockholm on Wednesday, had hoped to end his international career by captaining England at next year’s World Cup in Russia.
But this now looks an increasingly forlorn hope for Rooney, England’s record goalscorer with 53 goals and their most capped outfielder with 119 appearances for his country.
He has fallen down the pecking order at United under manager Jose Mourinho and Thursday’s squad announcement saw Southgate opt for the likes of Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford and Jermain Defoe instead of Rooney.
England face oldest rivals Scotland in a World Cup qualifier at Glasgow’s Hampden Park on June 10 before travelling to Paris for a friendly three days later.
England squad: Goalkeepers: Jack Butland (Stoke City), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Torino/ITA, on loan from Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley)
Defenders: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United), Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur). –AFP
