Wayne Rooney earns his place on the team – as an ITV pundit
England captain charms critics as he side-steps difficult questions and reveals his son wanted a Jamie Vardy shirt
Wayne Rooney put in a solid performance as he made his debut as a TV pundit and joined the ITV commentary team for England's game against the Netherlands at Wembley.
Faced with awkward questions over his future, the injured England skipper, who is increasingly viewed as surplus to requirements by many, used all his media experience to navigate the minefield and, without a hint of arrogance, present the case for his own inclusion in Roy Hodgson's squad for Euro 2016.
It could have been a tricky night for Rooney, says Jim White of the Daily Telegraph. "ITV asking the injured England captain to comment on the next stage of his team's upward trajectory was a bit like getting Pete Best to give his critique on Rubber Soul," he writes.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But Rooney's experienced enough to choose his words carefully. "He was as likely to say something controversial as Donald Trump is to say something emollient," adds White. "Yet, even among the blandishments, there were hints that he was fully aware of the platform he had been gifted to promote his own interests."
Rooney was eager to stress the value of competition for places and also to reinforce the value of experience.
He also displayed a sense of humour and Giles Smith of The Times says he deserved his place in the ITV team.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"92838","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]
He "got the audience entirely onside with a self-deprecating anecdote about his son asking him to get an England kit with Jamie Vardy's name on the back", notes the journalist. He also joked that the late Johan Cruyff was at least partly responsible for his lack of European Cup winner's medals, thanks to his influence at Barcelona.
The Dutch team may have done Rooney's international future a world of good by scoring twice in the second half, but "if he took any pleasure in this all new, brakes-off, Wazza-eclipsing England looking a bit stiff and losing, he manfully defeated the urge to show it", says Smith. "Solid enough stuff from the captain, then."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Man United finally lost patience with ten Hag
Talking Point After another loss United sacked ten Hag in hopes of success in the Champion's League
By The Week UK Published
-
Who are the markets backing in the US election?
Talking Point Speculators are piling in on the Trump trade. A Harris victory would come as a surprise
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 3, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Today’s back pages: Tottenham’s ‘hot splurge’ on Dybala and Coutinho, Rooney ready for grand return
Speed Read A round up of the sport headlines from UK newspapers on 7 August
By The Week Staff Published
-
Wayne Rooney: Liverpool Premier League title win would be a nightmare
Speed Read Former Man Utd and Everton star wants Man City to be the champions
By The Week Staff Published
-
Wayne Rooney bows out - but young guns steal the show
The Week Recommends Veteran striker heads into the sunset but England’s future looks bright ahead of Nations League showdown
By The Week Staff Published
-
England vs. USA: Wayne Rooney’s farewell divides nation
The Week Recommends Three Lions’s all-time top scorer will come on as sub at Wembley tonight
By The Week Staff Published
-
England squad: Callum Wilson called up for US and Croatia matches
Speed Read Gareth Southgate says Wayne Rooney has earned the right to win his 120th cap
By The Week Staff Published
-
Wayne Rooney debate: should he play again for England?
Speed Read Three Lions’s record goalscorer is set to make a farewell appearance at Wembley
By The Week Staff Published
-
Video: Wayne Rooney scores wonder free-kick for DC United in the MLS
Speed Read Former Man Utd and England striker now has ten goals in 18 matches
By The Week Staff Published
-
England football squad: no selection for Jamie Vardy and Gary Cahill
Speed Read Three Lions take on Spain and Switzerland in September
By The Week Staff Published