Gareth Southgate should tell Wayne Rooney his England career is over, according to 1966 World Cup final hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst.
Rooney has scored two goals in two Premier League games since leaving Manchester United to go back to Everton, prompting suggestions Southgate could welcome back England’s record goalscorer for World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia in September.
Southgate has previously left the door open for the former captain to return, while none of the strikers who featured in his most recent squad – Marcus Rashford, Jermain Defoe and Harry Kane – have scored in the league this term.
But Hurst does not believe Rooney’s early-season resurgence should lead to him being selected by Southgate for the first time since November 2016.
“He [Southgate] has made some bold decisions and I think the bold one he can make is, for me, to say it’s the end of Wayne Rooney’s international career,” said Hurst.
“He has been an absolutely fantastic player. At club level he wasn’t playing regularly for Manchester United last season, which is an indication – and if you are not playing regularly at club level you certainly should not represent England in my opinion.
“I wouldn’t necessary call it a bold decision to not play Wayne Rooney anymore, but if I were in charge of the national team I would call Wayne up and say, ‘thanks very much’.
“He has been a fantastic player, one of the greatest players in this country but old Father Time, and I have been there as a striker, comes where you lose a bit of sharpness and I think his time playing for England is over.”
“We’ll see. I’m focused on Everton,” Rooney told Sky Sports. “I’m sure I’ll speak to Gareth Southgate over the next few days and we’ll have a conversation and see what happens.”
