England captain Wayne Rooney announces retirement from international football after 2018 World Cup
The Manchester United player’s announcement came after manager Sam Allardyce said he would retain Rooney as team captain.
England captain Wayne Rooney on Tuesday announced that he will retire from international football after the 2018 FIFA World Cup, BBC reported. The Manchester United player, who has scored a record 53 goals in 115 appearances for his country, said that the tournament will be his “last opportunity to do anything with England”. Saying his mind was “made up” on the matter, Rooney added that he has had a “fantastic international career so far”.
The football player’s announcement came a day after England manager Sam Allardyce confirmed that he will continue as the team’s captain. Allardyce told reporters that Rooney will play behind the striker, which is the position he has been placed at by new Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho. However, Rooney said that he not spoken about the matter with Allardyce.
While England has not lost a qualifying match since 2009, the country has not won a knockout game in any tournament since 2006. The 2018 World Cup will be played in Russia.