Wayne Rooney will captain England in their World Cup qualifier against Scotland, interim manager Gareth Southgate said Thursday.
The 31-year-old forward was dropped for last month’s 0-0 qualifying draw in Slovenia after a dip in form but improved outings for Manchester United have earned him back his starting place.
“He is in a better place than he was for the last get together, in terms of his sharpness and his confidence,” Southgate told a news conference ahead of Friday’s match at Wembley Stadium.
“There was no hesitation from my point of view to be playing him. He’s played well in his last couple of games for Manchester United.
“His experience of playing in games like this is important. In a team with lots of energy and potential, we need experienced players around that too.”
England are two points clear in Group F with Scotland a further point back in fourth.
It will be the 113th meeting between the neighbors but their first competitively since 1999.
“Obviously it is a massive game,” Jordan Henderson, who captained the squad in Slovenia, said.
“If you look at the history of the fixture, it’s not a normal game.
“The lads know the importance of the game, not only because it’s England v Scotland but also because we want to qualify for the World Cup.
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(Via: NewsGhana)
