Gareth Southgate insists that Wayne Rooney still has a future with England despite him being left out of his second successive squad for June's matches against Scotland and France.
The 46-year-old Three Lions' chief was forced to leave the country's all-time leading scorer out of the March games against Germany and Lithuania because of injury.
However, Southgate has again omitted Rooney and intimated that there are players more deserving given that he has only started 15 Premier League games for Manchester United this past season.
The former Middlesbrough boss must now find a new captain for the World Cup Group F qualifier against Scotland at Hampden Park on 10th June, which England are 7/10 to win with bet365, and friendly trip to France three days later.
But he appeared to leave the door open for Rooney to return to his plans in the future should he start playing regularly next season.
Southgate said: "He's got some big decisions to make this summer - you want your players playing in the biggest possible games.
"Hopefully he's back playing well - there is no way we would dismiss him from the future."
The 46-year-old Three Lions' chief was forced to leave the country's all-time leading scorer out of the March games against Germany and Lithuania because of injury.
However, Southgate has again omitted Rooney and intimated that there are players more deserving given that he has only started 15 Premier League games for Manchester United this past season.
The former Middlesbrough boss must now find a new captain for the World Cup Group F qualifier against Scotland at Hampden Park on 10th June, which England are 7/10 to win with bet365, and friendly trip to France three days later.
But he appeared to leave the door open for Rooney to return to his plans in the future should he start playing regularly next season.
Southgate said: "He's got some big decisions to make this summer - you want your players playing in the biggest possible games.
"Hopefully he's back playing well - there is no way we would dismiss him from the future."
