With the retirement of midfielder Steven Gerrard, England and manager Roy Hodgson were in search of a new captain for the national team. They need not look any further after Hodgson officially appointed Wayne Rooney as the leader of the English squad.
Rooney was also named captain of Manchester United earlier this year by the team's new manager, Louis van Gaal. Hodgson's decision comes after a disappointing World Cup in Brazil after which England didn't earn a win and couldn't get beyond the group stages: they lost 2-1 to Italy, 2-1 to Uruguay, and tied Costa Rica despite having some of the best talent in the world.
But England looks to turn their national team around following the retirements of midfielders Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard - both excellent and loyal Englishmen for the last three World Cups. Now the future is upon England, Rooney, who will be 31 years old by the 2018 tournament, will take over captain duties. His first challenge comes on September 3 when England faces off against Norway at Wembley Stadium.
"I hope that I will have the full backing of the fans," said Rooney, in an exclusive interview, via his webiste. "I am their type of player once I am on that pitch. My only thought is to win and give everything I have got and that sharing that desire will be the way I want to captain the team. England fans have a massive role to play not just in helping me as the captain but the team as a whole. When our fans sing the national anthem and support us in such numbers around the world I can promise you it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and is an enormous sense of pride for our country."
Rooney has been a member of the English team for the past three World Cups and his extensive experience in the Premier League made the selection a no-brainer for Hodgson. He has appeared in 11 World Cup matches, but has only one goal (which he scored in the 2014 event) while the team has just three wins. However in qualifiers, he has 16 goals in 22 matches and a tremendous 159 goals in 281 appearances for Manchester United.
While Rooney prepares to lead England, he plans to speak with Steven Gerrard about the experiences the former midfielder had as captain of the national team. You can read more about his appointment in this ESPNFC article.
