Allardyce confirms Rooney retains England captaincy

Wayne Rooney has retained the England captaincy, Sam Allardyce has announced.

The England manager had refused to confirm whether Rooney would be his skipper since being appointed in July, but said on Monday the Manchester United man will be his skipper.

Rooney took over from Steven Gerrard as England captain in 2014 and his leadership skills were praised by Allardyce, who will lead England for the first time against Slovakia in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday.

“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,” Allardyce told the Football Association’s official website.

“Wayne’s record speaks for itself. He is the most senior member of the squad and he is hugely respected by his peers. All of these factors point towards him being the right choice to lead the team.”

Should Rooney be selected for the Slovakia match, he would become England’s all-time most-capped outfield player by making his 116th England appearance, moving ahead of David Beckham and trailing only Peter Shilton.

And Allardyce insists he will play as a forward, adding: “It may be that Wayne is listed as a midfielder, but he is playing behind the front man at Manchester United and that, for me, puts it where he has started.”