Wednesday 19 November 2014 11:58, UK
Wayne Rooney is the best player in the England team and a talisman for the side, according to former England international Rob Lee.
Rooney scored two goals in England’s 3-1 win over Scotland in the international friendly at Celtic Park and is third on the all-time goalscoring list, behind Gary Lineker and Sir Bobby Charlton.
Rooney led from the front and his strong performance sparked discussion amongst commentators as to whether his form merited him as an automatic pick for England.
Wayne Rooney is our talisman, he’s our best player. And he’s playing well enough to merit his place
“At this moment in time, Wayne Rooney is our talisman, he’s our best player. And he’s playing well enough to merit his place,” Lee told Morning View on Sky Sports News HQ.
“March is a long way away… You do have to look at who is playing well at the time, but at this moment in time, he’s up with there with the England greats. His goal record is fantastic, he’s going to smash that, I think, and at the moment you wouldn’t even contemplate leaving him out.”
Lee also said the off-the-ball pressure England put on Scotland was a central part of their success at Celtic Park.
He said: “I think probably in some of their games, their international football games, we sit back, and we try to play like Spain or Italy. Against Scotland they got in very, very early, and it’s very high up. And they kept it very well once they got it, they didn’t lose it.
“We were not playing one of the top teams, but you’ve got to play what’s in front of you.”
Former Scotland goalkeeper Andy Goram similarly credited England’s work rate, and described the team’s shutting down of the Scots as akin to “hunting in packs”, and said Rooney was “absolutely brilliant”.
“Scotland just didn’t turn up. I think England did to us what we wanted to do to England,” Goram said.
“We weren’t diabolical, but England were exceptional, Wayne Rooney was fantastic. Scotland are a team of Championship players, they were against a team of Champions League players and that's the gulf right there."
Goram said one “bright spot” for Scotland was the performance of goalscorer Andy Robertson. but as to whether Scotland would ever beat England again, he said: “Our best chance will probably be at cricket”.
