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Winning run ahead of Manchester derby important for United: Rooney

Sep 01 2016

39;Special' Rashford will get chance- Rooney

Wayne Rooney has retained the England captaincy, Sam Allardyce has announced. Barkley plays in the same position as United captain Rooney at Everton, and has started the season in good form for his club with two goals in four games. Rashford's late victor, as a substitute, at Hull on Saturday has led to questions about why one of the few England players to come out well from Euro 2016 was demoted last week into the Under-21s, for their game against Norway at Colchester on 6 September.

After the Hull contest, Mourinho was making no promises about whether the youngster might he handed a start in the City game, but he has said Rashford will play "a lot" under him. Yet Allardyce insisted it was not a mistake when it was put to him that England's chances in Slovakia would have been improved by Rashford's presence. "All of these factors point towards him being the right choice to lead the team".

Barkley has scored two goals in his first four games for Everton this season but Allardyce chose to recall Leicester's Danny Drinkwater and hand a first call-up to West Ham winger Michail Antonio instead.

" It shows if you've got guts and termination and desire, how much it means (to you). then he goes forward and creates a career for him which finally ends in the Premier League and finally with us in this squad".

He said: "It's been a well thought-out squad, we have been in deep discussions and had to make some very hard decisions, none more so than Ross Barkley".

"I wouldn't say I don't fancy them".

"Wayne has been an excellent captain for England and the manner in which he has fulfilled the role made it an easy decision for me to ask him to continue", said Allardyce.

England's first-choice defender Chris Smalling came off the bench, while Ander Herrera and Morgan Schneiderlin were unused subs, and the likes of Memphis Depay and Phil Jones didn't even make the matchday squad.

As it was, Rashford grabbed the injury-time victor, but Mkhitaryan, a £26million signing from Borussia Dortmund last month, also had a positive impact on the game. Unfortunately, he isn't playing.

He wants two players for every position and sees Tottenham's Dele Alli as the other No10 in his 23-man party. Wayne's position has changed at Manchester United and that's the sort of position I am looking for him to play in.

The manager will hold his first training session on Tuesday and, in his determination to keep the squad entertained, he plans to invite Paddy McGuinness and Bradley Walsh to host a quiz night for the players. "Christ, I haven't come here to be miserable".


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