Wayne Rooney: England striker 'always knew' he'd want one more crack at a tournament

Even before England's doomed Euro 2016 campaign had begun, the national team's captain knew he'd carry on

Rooney is hungry for one last tournament with England (Getty)

Wayne Rooney has been around the block with England often enough to know the pitfalls of planning too far ahead, so there were no suggestions of ending his international career with a World Cup winners’ medal in his pocket as he revealed Russia 2018 would be the end of his road with the national team.

Realism has replaced expectation with Rooney, thirteen years and six unsuccessful major tournaments – plus a failure to qualify for Euro 2008 – since he made his debut as a teenager against Australia.

There have been penalty shoot-out heartache and pre-tournament metatarsal breaks, but nothing has stung quite so painfully as the Euro 2016 defeat against Iceland in Nice.

But the despite the humiliation of that second round defeat to a team from a nation of just 300,000, Rooney insists he had already mentally signed himself up for one more crack at success before that night to forget.

“To be honest, I had made my mind up before I went to the Euros that I was going to continue with England, whether the tournament went well or not,” Rooney said. “I made my mind up so I didn’t leave myself in a position where I was making a decision on the back of what had happened.

“I always knew I was going to continue. I said at the time I knew there were going to be questions whether I should continue or not and I said at the time if I was selected, I was available to play.

“I’ve been selected and I’m looking forward to the game against Slovakia on Sunday.”

The ignominy of Nice has not deterred Rooney (Getty)

For some, Russia 2018 will be a tournament too far for the Manchester United forward.

Alan Shearer, who ended his international career at 30 after Euro 2000, claimed earlier this week that Rooney should call time on his England commitments now and follow his example, and that of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, by focusing solely on his club career.

For Rooney, however, there is still enough fuel in the tank for one more tournament.

“People are entitled to their opinions, I understand that,” Rooney said. “People can say whether they want you in the team, don’t want you in the team, whether you should retire.

“I’ve seen players retired, get two or three days off during the week, but that’s not really that appealing to me.

“Alan Shearer retired at 30, so he believes in playing that long for his country, but I feel I’ve still got something to offer this team and the manager feels that as well.

Alan Shearer retired at 30, so he believes in playing that long for his country, but I feel I’ve still got something to offer this team and the manager feels that as well.

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“Going into the World Cup, hopefully we qualify, the time will be right. It will be my 15th season playing for England, and in anyone’s terms it’s a long time, so I just felt the time would be right then.

“I’ve known that for a while. I’m still feeling capable of doing a good job for England.

“The World Cup is obviously important, a huge moment in anyone’s life, and I’ll try and give it one last go.”

With his United contract due to expire in 2019, and interest already emerging from the MLS, the next three years promise to be decisive in the final chapter of Rooney’s career.

But he insists there are no plans to end his playing days at club level shortly after calling it quits with England.

“I will carry on playing, certainly at club level,” he said. “I will have a year left at United then.

“I’ve said to United I want to stay there, finish my career there, so it’s a case sitting down with United when the time’s right.

“When I speak to them I’ll have a better idea, but I obviously want to finish my career at United.

Rooney added: “As a player, an experienced player, I know how to manage my body through training.

“I’m sure if I came here and said I felt a bit tired, I could have a day when I don’t have to train. Other players do it, so that wouldn’t be an issue.

Rooney wants to end his career at United (Getty)

“But in the grand scheme of it, I love playing for my country, I feel I can still do it.

“I know if I stopped playing now, during this week, I’d have two days at home, I’d be regretting it.

“The time will probably be right in two years’ time, and hopefully I can enjoy the next two years, and do a bit better.”

With the clock now ticking on his international career – eleven more caps will see him break Peter Shilton’s all-time appearance record of 125 – Rooney can now focus on achieving some kind of success at the end of it.

There has been enough failure with England along the way, and he insists it is now time to learn from it.

“It’s not just been with some of the players now, it’s been the case with a lot of experienced players who have played at the top level for many years,” he said. “It’s something that hopefully we can find out why it’s happening and try to avoid it happening again.”