'Wayne Rooney relegated to history books' - best newspaper reaction to England axe
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Updated 11/10/2016 at 08:01 GMT
We round up the best comment from the national press after England dropped Wayne Rooney for the first time.
England's Wayne Rooney walks out onto the pitch during the stadium visit
Image credit: Reuters
Whatever happens on the pitch in Ljubljana when England face Slovenia in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday night, the biggest story has already occurred off it with the news that captain Wayne Rooney has been dropped by Gareth Southgate.
It is the biggest selection decision made by an England manager since Steve McClaren exiled then captain David Beckham following the 2006 World Cup, with Rooney now facing up to an uncertain future for both club and country.
But what have the national press made of Southgate’s bold move? We took a look over what the big names in journalism have said about Rooney’s demotion.
Henry Winter, The Times - Southgate relegates Rooney to history books
“As twilight begins to wrap itself around Rooney, dawn fully broke on the Southgate era. No more Mr Nice Guy. Southgate has proved he can make strong decisions. ‘It’s not something I take any pleasure from at all, but you put emotion and feeling to one side and make a decision that you think is right for tactical reasons — that’s part of the responsibility of being the head coach,’ Southgate said.
For tactical reasons, the interim manager resolved that Rooney had the capacity to face opponents ranked 176th in the world but not those at No 67. The insinuation is that Rooney would be fine at home against lesser foes, but not in more exacting circumstances, effectively ruling him out of involvement in the World Cup finals, assuming England qualify.
“The end is nigh. Of his 117 appearances, 108 have been starts and there may not be more of those. He may pick up caps from the bench, inching closer to Peter Shilton’s record of 125 but it is slightly undignified for such a proud character.”
Daniel Taylor, The Guardian - Rooney axe was ‘overdue’
“English football loved the assassin‑faced baby but the days have passed since he made us quicken our step en route to wherever he was playing. What we are left with now is a fading old pro, approaching his 31st birthday, after starting at the age of 16 and never going through a season without playing at least 42 games.
That is why Southgate has done the sensible thing, removing Rooney, and we should probably avoid calling it courageous, or bottle, or any of the other words that have been applied so far. This is what it is: overdue. It cannot have been easy for Southgate to break the news but Rooney’s deterioration has not just been accelerating since the start of the season.
“There are plenty of us who have been suggesting for the past year or so that it was time to cut him free, and the only issue really for debate is why Sam Allardyce, and especially Roy Hodgson, always seemed so in thrall of the Manchester United player.”
Paul Hayward, The Telegraph - England end Rooney dependence, but it’s not terminal
“In a calm world, Rooney’s demotion for the Slovenia game would stir no controversy. If Jose Mourinho can drop him, why not England? But of course Rooney has been England’s most distinguished player through a decade of crushing disappointment in which he was so often cast as a potential saviour: a theory that ignored the mediocrity around him.
So this is a much bigger deal. It feels like the end of England’s Rooney phase, their Rooney dependence, which had become elongated. If he is to be treated like any other England player, Southgate will simply have aligned his captain’s club and international careers. This day has been coming, but it is not terminal, if Rooney can find a way back.
Matt Lawton, Daily Mail - Dignity in Rooney’s darkest hour
"When Glenn Hoddle broke the news to Paul Gascoigne that he was not going to the 1998 World Cup, the midfielder kicked a chair, punched a lamp and gave the then England manager the distinct impression that he was about to belt him, too.
"Gareth Southgate was a member of that squad in La Manga 18 years ago but it’s fair to say the encounter he had on Sunday with the finest England player since Gazza was rather less dramatic.
Southgate said Wayne Rooney responded to being dropped for a competitive game for the first time in 13 years of international football with great professionalism, and the performance he gave here underlined that.
Mark Ogden, The Independent - Hard to see a route back for Rooney
“It is undoubtedly a sad moment for one of England’s most successful players – 53 goals in 117 appearances is a success, regardless of what Rooney’s detractors may say – when the curtain begins to fall.
But Southgate has perhaps simply just accepted what Sir Alex Ferguson came to realise in the final months of his reign as United manager three years ago. Wayne Rooney is no longer the player he was and, until he finds a new role and succeeds in it, it is difficult to envisage a route back.
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