Rooney has been excluded from the Manchester United starting XI in recent weeks Nick Potts/PA WireGareth Southgate said today that the decision to keep Wayne Rooney as England captain was a straightforward one. The interim manager met Rooney to discuss his plans for the squad last Friday, as was revealed last week by The Times, and was impressed with his maturity and leadership skills. The most important thing at this time is leadership, on and off the field, and Wayne has provided that over the last two years“The decision to make him captain is quite simple,” Southgate said. “What I felt from what I have seen around St George’s, what I gleaned from talking to staff over the two years, is that he is the outstanding leader in the group. “The most important thing at this time is…

Source: The Times October 03, 2016 10:52 UTC