Former England star David Beckham feels that Wayne Rooney showed a retired from England duty only when he has nothing to give to the national team.
Regarded as one of the most patriotic England players ever, David Beckham went on to represent in the national team in 115 matches. This has remained a record for an outfield player, but it will be broken on Sunday when Wayne Rooney steps onto the pitch against Slovakia. Rooney recently tied Beckham for the most number of appearances by an outfield player and he could go beyond this figure with an appearance against Slovakia.
Rooney has also confirmed that he plans to retire from international duty after the World Cup 2018. For a player who has been a part of the England setup for more than a decade, it would mark a memorable occasion if England were to win the World Cup at this tournament. Beckham famously made himself available at all times even when he had entered into the latter stages of his career. Rooney, though, is still only 31 and is playing at his best. Even though his goals have dried up of late, Rooney has been contributing in other areas of the pitch. It is widely believed that he will become an out and out midfielder in the near future.
“I played on until I was almost 36 and would not have been able to do that had I played any longer for England.It is time for him to acknowledge that he simply can’t keep doing both – and I mean that for his own good,” said former England striker Alan Shearer. “So tonight Wayne becomes England’s most capped outfield player.I keep hearing people say Wayne should stop playing for his country to prolong his club career. Seriously? As a player you retire when you’re ready,” wrote Beckham on his Instagram account.