Sir Gareth Southgate has now recalled a key moment that he had with Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney during his reign as England manager.
Wayne Rooney enjoyed a prolific playing career on the international stage with the Three Lions, despite never winning any major silverware with England.
Wayne Rooney’s famous overhead kick for Man Utd vs Man City at Old Trafford… ð¥·ð¦µ
The 40-year-old legendary former Manchester United striker was part of England’s so-called ‘Golden Generation’ and became an influential figure for the Three Lions.
Rooney eclipsed fellow United icon Sir Bobby Charlton as England’s all-time leading scorer for a time, only for former teammate Harry Kane to later surpass his feat.
United’s all-time leading scorer served as captain of England after Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard retired, with Roy Hodgson appointing Rooney to the role in 2014.
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Sir Gareth Southgate opens up on the major admission that England icon Wayne Rooney made to him
Sir Gareth Southgate became England manager in 2016 after he had stepped into the role for an initial temporary post following Sam Allardyce’s resignation.
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The 55-year-old ex-England boss’ reign coincided with Wayne Rooney’s decline at the top level, with the Manchester United legend struggling at Old Trafford as well.
Speaking on The High Performance Podcast, Southgate recalled when he noticed the United icon’s struggles and how Rooney had “humility and awareness” to see it himself.
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“You know, in the second game I had, it started the first game,” he said.
“I said, ‘Look, I’m not going to start you in the second.’
“But he, you know, for a top player, his humility and his awareness was incredible, really, because he said, ‘No, look, I’m not getting into Manchester United’s team. I don’t expect, therefore, just to start for England.
“So, play that out a few months down the line and he’s, you know, heading towards the end at United and, you know, there were players that were playing better than him.
“Now, all I could do then is show as much respect as possible for the career he had had.”
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Sir Gareth Southgate praises Man Utd icon Wayne Rooney for what he showed to him at England
Rooney made his England debut under Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2003 and Southgate crossed paths with him in the tail end of his own international playing career.
“You know, I played with him on his debut,” Southgate continued.
“So, I wanted to be as respectful of what he’d achieved and go and see him and talk it through.
“But the reality of that is the way he received that information made that much more comfortable for me because that could have gone anywhere, that conversation, you know, we’ve seen those things happen.”
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Rooney had fallen down the pecking order under former Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford, despite being United captain at the time as well.
Despite being dropped under both Jose Mourinho and Southgate, Rooney showed his professionalism until the end of his respective United and England playing spells.
“And so, his humility, his acceptance, and we all have a choice in those moments, don’t we? Southgate added.
“It’s a bit of a reminder that delivering bad news is difficult, but how you receive bad news, I think the person on the other side would always remember that, because I could have left with a very different view of Wayne.
“I’m telling you a story where he comes out with enormous credit.”
Rooney’s spell with England came to an end in 2017 after his international retirement, with the United icon scoring 53 times in 120 matches for his country.