This is not turning out to be a great season for Wayne Rooney. After getting dropped following several calls for Jose Mourinho to displace his captain from the Manchester United starting XI, Rooney now will find himself on the bench in an England shirt as well with Gareth Southgate deciding to go with a different midfield for the FIFA 2018 World Cup qualifier against Slovenia on Tuesday.
It is obvious that Rooney is not the player he was anymore, with the pace gone and that thought process just a second or two behind. At the top level of the game, those changes make a huge difference and while Rooney has admitted he now sees his best position in midfield, it is a position that the Manchester United man is not specialised in.
With Mourinho insisting he does not see Rooney as a midfielder, the 30-year-old is unlikely to get too many chances in club football this season to hone his craft in that position. While Rooney's international future might look a little bleak taking all that into consideration, the former Everton man insists he is not ready to give up on his England career yet.
"It is something which I have to go through," Rooney said. "I am big enough to deal with it. I believe I can come back from this. I am 30 years of age. I am not 35 or 36, where you are thinking: 'Can you get back from it?'
"I will keep working and I have said before that I will not stop playing for England and start going to Dubai for a few days in the international break."
Citing the longevity of Ryan Giggs' career, Rooney, who came under a lot of criticism for his performances in Euro 2016, said he still has a lot to give for England.
"Ryan Giggs at 30 wasn't the same player he was at 18 and he played until he was 40," Rooney added. "There's lots of examples out there you can use – players re-evaluate and work out the best way to move forwards. I'm sure that will happen with me.
"I am not naive in terms of thinking that I am still a 20-year-old. I understand that. My game is different to that of a 20-year-old, but I also think I have qualities that can help move this team forward. I'm not denying it's a difficult moment but I have to show the right attitude, try to be positive and make sure I am supportive of my teammates."
