Wayne Rooney realised his boxing-in-the-kitchen video might not be quite so easy to shrug off when Coleen caught five-year-old Kai mimicking his father’s knockout goal celebration.
‘My wife went to pick him up from school and saw him doing that in the classroom,’ said Rooney. ‘I’m sure you won’t be seeing that celebration again.’
There will be no repeat if the England captain hits the target in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania at Wembley and moves ever closer to Sir Bobby Charlton’s goal record.
Rooney celebrated scoring for Manchester United against Tottenham earlier this month by falling flat on his back, a joke aimed at a film of him being floored by Stoke defender Phil Bardsley during an impromptu bout at his home which has since proved the source of much amusement for team-mates.
‘There has been a bit around the place, at United and England training, but you’d expect that, they’re a group of lads,’ said Rooney. ‘I’ve always loved boxing. Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn’t go too well. I was caught on the end of a punch. I wasn’t knocked out.
‘I didn’t see it as a big issue. I spoke to the manager, and he didn’t see it as a big issue. I come from a boxing background. I’d have apologised if I felt it was wrong. But for me, that’s been and gone.’
What if he had fallen badly, someone asked. ‘I never, so…’ shrugged Rooney and flashed a smile. Roy Hodgson, seated beside him, smiled too, not about to chastise his skipper, a player who will win his 102nd England cap tonight. Only eight players have more.
As for his pursuit of the goal record, he is only two behind Gary Lineker, three behind Charlton’s 49 and in splendid form for his country. ‘Bobby’s been a great for Manchester United and England,’ said Rooney. ‘I speak to him regularly at the club, especially after games. He gives me great advice, certainly when I was playing midfield because he was an attacking midfielder and he spoke to me about my role.
‘But I don’t want to bring it up with him and say I’m close to beating him. Hopefully one day it will happen, sooner rather than later.’
Louis van Gaal’s experiment with Rooney in midfield seems to be over, brought to an end when Robin van Persie was injured and the United manager ran out of patience with Radamel Falcao.
‘We’re delighted to see him up front again for Manchester United. We’ve always used him as a front player,’ said Hodgson, and Rooney seemed to agree he was back in his natural position while trying not to say anything that might offend Van Gaal. ‘I’m delighted to be up front, scoring goals and helping us win,’ said the 29-year-old, who has four in five for United since Van Persie’s injury and six in six up front for England this season, including two on his last outing, the friendly in Scotland in November.
Since then, Harry Kane has exploded into contention with a blaze of goals. Kane has 29 for the season and Hodgson chatted with Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, who watched England work at the Tottenham training ground, near Enfield. ‘He is in sizzling form,’ said Rooney, who made his England debut at 17 and urged supporters to be gentle with the 21-year-old if he makes his debut in front of tonight’s sell-out crowd.
‘Give him room to breathe, rather than smothering him and demanding a lot off him at an early age when he hasn’t played for England yet. He is still in his first season in the Premier League. Let him continue doing what he’s doing. That’s the way to get the best out of him.’
Daniel Sturridge pulled out of the squad earlier this week with an injury described by Hodgson yesterday as a ‘small tear’ in a thigh muscle which he ‘couldn’t play though’. The England manager was keen to stress, however, that he considered Raheem Sterling to be among his options up front.
Sterling is expected to start and be released after this game, spared Tuesday’s friendly in Italy because he has been nursing a toe injury. James Milner is carrying a knee problem and is also unlikely to play in both games. Ryan Bertrand could be called in.
Hodgson’s priority is the competitive fixture, with England expected to win comfortably and extend their 100 per cent record in qualifying Group E against a team ranked 94th in the world.
This will count against Kane’s chances of starting, as will Hodgson’s desire to have a genuine striker on the bench, to introduce and lift spirits if all does not go to plan against Lithuania, who will probably operate with limited ambition at Wembley.
If it comes down to a straight fight between Welbeck and Kane for the right to partner Rooney, the England captain could always reach for the boxing gloves and lead them to the kitchen.
*46 is Rooney’s goal tally for England, two behind Gary Lineker and three short of record-holder Sir Bobby Charlton. – Daily Mail