Wayne Rooney has described Trent Alexander-Arnold’s recent exclusion from the England squad as “mind-boggling”, though the former Manchester United captain stated he would select Reece James as the starting right-back for the World Cup.
Surprise omission from March friendlies
Alexander-Arnold was unexpectedly left out of England’s squads for the March friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, despite enjoying increased playing time this year at Real Madrid. First-choice right-back Reece James was also unavailable due to injury. Ben White, returning from a self-imposed exile, was recalled and started both matches, scoring against Uruguay, in Thomas Tuchel’s final squad before the World Cup.
“No disrespect to Ben White, I think he’s a really good player, but for him to be in the squad and play ahead of Trent, I find it mind-boggling,” Rooney said on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show.
Alexander-Arnold’s form and England absence
The 27-year-old has not featured for England since a second-half substitute appearance in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra 11 months ago. After initially struggling following his move from Liverpool to Real Madrid last summer, he has become a regular starter for the Spanish giants since recovering from a thigh problem in January.
However, Tuchel indicated in November that Jarell Quansah was ahead of Alexander-Arnold in the pecking order, and Tino Livramento has also deputised at full-back for England more recently.
Rooney’s preferred back four
While Rooney acknowledged that James, who has been sidelined since mid-March with a hamstring issue, is “unreliable”, the former England captain believes the Chelsea defender is best suited to the right-sided role in England’s defence.
“We don’t need our full-backs to be the most attacking, we need them to defend,” Rooney added. He named his ideal back four as James, Harry Maguire, Marc Guehi, and Luke Shaw. “We’ve got attacking ability at the top end of the pitch. We don’t need them to be bombing forward, keep the balance and let the attacking players win you the games. In terms of the lads who are in there, you wouldn’t say they were the best defensively anyway.”
