Former England striker Wayne Rooney has supported his former Manchester United teammate Danny Welbeck in his sensational return for the Three Lions after seven years in the international wilderness.
Wayne Rooney believes manager Thomas Tuchel should leave Harry Kane out of the next England squad and call up Danny Welbeck. England have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, but they still have two qualifiers remaining – against Serbia at Wembley and Albania in Tirana.
And Rooney believes Tuchel could gain even more by resting his captain and bringing back Welbeck, who turns 35 in a few weeks. Appearing on BBC Sport YouTube and iPlayer’s The Wayne Rooney Show, the former Manchester United striker said: “I don’t think we’ll even call up Harry Kane for the next few England games. Let him rest. Let him rest.”
“There won’t be many opportunities for him to rest between now and the end of the season. Let him rest and let him go and watch (Danny) Welbeck or (Oly) Watkins or Ivan Toney. Whoever he wants to see, give these players a chance to play.”
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Kane, who has scored 76 goals so far and is seeking to set an unbeatable goalscoring record, is unlikely to entertain the idea of taking time off for England. And he will also keep an eye on Peter Shilton’s career cap record.
Kane currently has 110 points, 15 points shy of Shilton’s mark. But even with Kane in the squad, Rooney believes a rejuvenated Welbeck, who has played 42 times for England, should be given a recall seven years after his last appearance in a Three Lions jersey.
Rooney said: “I love Daniel dearly. For some reason I always call him Daniel. When I play next to him on the pitch, I always call him Daniel.”
“I love him and he’s a very good player in the Premier League. He’s scoring goals, he’s working hard, he’s got the purpura and he’s put himself in a position where manager Thomas Tuchel definitely has to keep an eye on him.”
“He’s in the best form of England’s strikers after Kane. I’m happy for him because he’s had injuries throughout his career, but he seems to be staying fit now and he’s shown what he’s capable of and what he can do.”
Welbeck last played in a friendly against Switzerland in 2018, but has scored six goals in his last five Premier League appearances for Brighton. And I’m sure Rooney will be a great team member for Tuchel.
Rooney, who was once left out by Sir Alex Ferguson for Welbeck to face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, said: “I think Daniel is a bit like Jordan Henderson and will use his experience around the players. He’s a popular player wherever he goes.
“He also has the ability to come out and have an impact. Tuchel will definitely be keeping an eye on him and I hope he does.”
Rooney played with Welbeck for several years at Manchester United and was full of praise for both the player and the person, saying: “He was great, a really nice guy. When he was playing, he pressed really high, he was aggressive, he accessed the ball quickly, he was really smart, he had good feet and he scored goals. He was a really great player.”
“The best thing about Daniel was that his mother would bring me chicken and rice every Thursday. It was such a treat. I always looked forward to it. I can’t praise him enough.”
Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC Sport YouTube and iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds. Episodes drop every Friday and Monday morning.
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