WAYNE ROONEY would not have Trent Alexander-Arnold anywhere near England’s midfield because the Liverpool star “can’t defend”.
Three Lions legend Rooney also wants to see Phil Foden played at No10 and Jude Bellingham pushed deeper into midfield.
GettyWayne Rooney has claimed Trent Alexander-Arnold ‘can’t defend’[/caption]
GettyThe Liverpool star has been listed as a midfielder for Euro 2024[/caption]
GettyRooney has named who he thinks needs to start for the Three Lions[/caption]
But the 38-year-old, who took the Euros by storm as a teenager 20 years ago, is worried the lack of experience in Gareth Southgate’s squad could cost them at this summer’s tournament.
Southgate’s men kick off their Euro 2024 campaign on Sunday against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen – where Rooney expects Alexander-Arnold to start in the middle of the park.
But the Manchester United record-scorer, who was recently appointed boss of Championship side Plymouth, would not make the same choice if he called the shots.
Rooney told Gary Neville’s Overlap podcast: “I think (Gareth) will go with Trent. He’s probably the most gifted player with the ball at his feet we’ve got.
“Defensively, he’s all over the place. He can’t defend. I wouldn’t have him anywhere near the middle of the pitch.”
Conor Gallagher looks to be Alexander-Arnold’s biggest competition for a starting berth this weekend, ahead of youngsters Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton.
But Rooney would not have any of them and instead would drop superstar Bellingham back further to accommodate Manchester City star Foden in at No10.
Bellingham will end up playing there anyway next season at his club Real Madrid, following the arrivals of forwards Kylian Mbappe and Endrick, according to ex-Derby chief Rooney.
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The Three Lions icon, who scored 53 goals in 120 caps for his country, added: “You have to build the team around Phil Foden.
“He has to be as a No10 and Jude play a little bit deeper.
“(Foden) is completely different to me (as a player), he’s more mature than I was with the ball at that age. I was a bit more raw.
“I think (the expectation) is more on Jude now. For Phil, this season has really been a big step-up for him.
“You’re lacking a midfielder next to Declan Rice and I think Jude is going to play there at Madrid given the players they’ve brought in.
“He’s more than capable of doing that. For me, that’s his best position.”
Rooney reckons England are going to face stubborn, deep defences at times in Germany this summer – similar to the Iceland one that earned a shock 1-0 win at Wembley on Friday.
In those scenarios, Rooney would like Southgate to bring Ivan Toney off the bench to partner Harry Kane in a bid to break resistances.
GettyRooney believes Foden should be starting in the No10 position[/caption]
GettyHe also thinks Bellingham should drop deeper[/caption]
He also would have taken Jack Grealish over Jarrod Bowen for the Manchester City star’s ability to “bring something a bit different” and offer more balance on the left.
Jarrad Branthwaite would have been selected by Rooney too for his size, ball-playing ability and fine season with Everton.
Grealish has become a serial winner during his time at City, even if he was a bit-part player in the club’s fourth league title on the trot this term.
The lack of silverware tasted by many in Southgate’s squad is a worry for Rooney – as is the inexperienced backline.
He added: “There’s no substitute for players who win trophies. It’s so important.
“There’s not many in the England squad that have done that.
“I just think there’s a real lack of experience in the squad, that’s my worry.
“On the backline, there’s not many caps between the players. When you get to the later stages…
“I had it when I first signed for Manchester United, you get to finals and ends of tournaments, semi-final etc, we’re looking at the lads that have been there and won trophies. They keep you calm and get you through it. That’s my worry for England.
“I think they’ll breeze through the group stages but when they come up against good teams that are going to be a real threat to them, I think that lack of experience might harm us.
“In 2004, I was probably the only one (inexperienced player). There are so many players now.
“I could go to any player in the squad and get advice off them or guidance on certain things.
“Where now you’ve got (Marc) Guehi, you’ve got (Ezri) Konsa, Mainoo, Wharton… the amount of players that have barely played, Cole Palmer, (Eberechi) Eze.
“So many players and what will happen naturally is they will probably stick together and then when it starts getting tough, they’ll be talking, going, ‘What do we do?’ Because they’re in a group.
“I was on my own, I wasn’t in a group, so I could go to anyone and say, ‘I’m a bit worried here’.
“That’s my issue. It’s not that they’re not good enough or that they don’t deserve to be there, but there’s so many players with a lack of caps and a lack of tournament football that you need that Harry Maguire, Grealish, for me, to bring that experience into the squad.”
Maguire, who has scored seven goals in 63 appearance for his country, was left out of the touring party due to a calf problem.
It has left Southgate with a raft of centre-backs with fewer than ten caps, barring John Stones who missed training on Wednesday through illness.
Rooney added: “The attacking players are unbelievable, probably the best we’ve had as a country. But the backline is a big worry for me.”
How England should line up against Serbia, according to Rooney
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