England manager Sam Allardyce has warned Wayne Rooney that he needs to rediscover his scoring boots for the national team.
Rooney's positional play in England's first 2018 World Cup qualifier against Slovakia caused confusion on Sunday after the Manchester United man appeared to slip back into midfield.
Allardyce, who oversaw the 1-0 win, his first game in charge of England, has backed Rooney but insists he needs to add goals to his game. "He's not to forget we want him to score goals," Allardyce reiterated.
Rooney has found the net once in his last six games for the national team —scoring in England's embarrassing exit from Euro 2016—from the penalty spot.
But Allardyce looks keen to keep the 30-year-old on side and in the side, as he prepares to guide England to Russia in two years' time.
"Me and Wayne's relationship, as we grow, will always be to promote him as captain, but first and foremost to make sure he's playing his best football," he added.
"I am using his experience to its maximum and encouraging him to play very well, which I thought he did."
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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