Wayne Rooney hopes that after reaching another goalscoring milestone with another bright performance for his new club, the door to an England recall has been pushed further ajar.
Rooney scored the 200th goal of his Premier League career as Everton earned a 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad on Monday – a feat only Alan Shearer has matched and surpassed – and his performance on the night suggests there will be a serious revisionism about the validity of the player from those who considered Rooney on the wane.
As reported by Chris Bascombe in ‘The Telegraph’ last Monday, Wayne Rooney plans to talk to England manager Gareth Southgate about his England prospects. Having been omitted from Gareth’s last two England squads, Rooney wants to be involved in his country’s two upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against Malta and Slovakia next month.
Rooney admitted that it’s no good playing for your country when not playing for your club. That is one of the reasons the former England captain joined Everton from Manchester United.
“He (Southgate) told me that if I get back playing every week then the door is still open to get back into the squad. It would be great if I could do that. If I do well here, I’m sure he will have a decision to make”.
On the evidence of the first few appearances for Everton, that decision has come quicker than Southgate, or even Rooney, might have expected. At 31, Rooey may not represent England’s future, but classy cameos could certainly assist at present.
Southgate, who was present at the Etihad Stadium on Monday, must calculate if there are really 22 English players who can contribute more in a World Cup year.
And Monday’s night Rooney display showed that insatiable appetite and hunger is still there, going some way to discourage the naysayers.
This is certainly a different Rooney to the dynamic youth. There is more consideration in each pass. His first touch is still impeccable, he picks the right passes and he is tactically flexible.
Would the recall of Rooney to the England team truly be considered a retrograde step, or can he be redefined at international level to be a guiding influence on and off the field?
There are those who argue two games into the Premier League season is too soon, while others will point to the 119 appearances and 53 goals for England as the most compelling supporting evidence that the Rooney rebirth can work.
Meanwhile reports by John Percy, also in ‘The Telegraph’ indicated that Jack Butland is moving ahead of Joe Hart in the battle to become England’s No.1, with Gareth Southgate considering the Stoke City goalkeeper for the World Cup qualifier in Malta.
According to the UK paper, Southgate is keen to see Butland in competitive action for the England national team and is set to start him in the match against Malta next week if his impressive form continues.
England also play Slovakia three days later in another qualifier at Wembley.
Hart’s place is under threat after conceding seven goals in two games since joining West Ham on loan and Butland is now in line to make his first international appearance since the friendly against Germany in March 2016.
Butland suffered a fractured leg in that match, enduring a frustrating 13 months without playing.
Although Hart remains admired within the England set-up, with his experience still regarded as crucial, there is now a genuine chance for Butland to stake a claim.
Butland was a regular for the England Under 21’s during Southgate’s time in charge and was appointed as captain.
According to persistent reports, the 24-year-old Stoke custodian is now seriously in the national coach’s thoughts to become first-choice and looks set to get his opportunity against Malta.
Southgate names his England squad on Thursday.