London (AFP) – Wayne Rooney’s international career looks over after England’s all-time top-scorer was Thursday left out of the squad for next month’s World Cup qualifier against Scotland and a friendly in 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.
Fit-again 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.
His United career could also be over having fallen down the pecking order under manager Jose Mourinho.
Thursday’s squad announcement saw Southgate opt for the likes of Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford and Jermain Defoe instead of Rooney in attack.
The 19-year-old Rashford, who started for United against Ajax, has inherited the mantle of “teen sensation” that used to belong to Rooney and his inclusion in the senior squad means he will not feature for the England Under-21s in this year’s age-group European Championships.
Kane’s call-up is the first time the Premier League’s golden boot winner has been included in one of Southgate’s England squads, with the Tottenham Hotspur striker having missed all six of the manager’s previous matches in charge through injury.
Kane’s club colleague Kieran Trippier has received a first England call-up after impressing for the Premier League runners-up, with Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson and West Ham United’s Aaron Cresswell also included in a 25-man squad.
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)
Midfielders: Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), Jake Livermore (West Bromwich Albion), Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Forwards: Jermain Defoe (Sunderland), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
