Wayne Rooney Accused Of Killing Harry Kane's England Career

Wayne Rooney has been accused of “killing” Harry Kane in England’s narrow 1-0 win over Slovakia, Goal reports.

The Three Lions captain drew criticism during and after the game with his perceived free role, often picking the ball up behind the halfway line in a deep-lying role.

Kane missed two good chances to score before Adam Lallana netted deep into stoppage time to seal three points in England’s world World Cup 2016 qualifier, with Sam Allardyce insisting Rooney can play “wherever he wants” afterwards.

Former Chelsea and England striker Chris Sutton, writing for the Daily Mail, insists Rooney must show more discipline or Allardyce must assert his authority after his first game in charge if the team are to show more threat in attack.

“The England manager needs to get a grip on his captain and tell him to play higher up the field,” Sutton wrote.

“Harry Kane was isolated up front and it killed his game. For Kane to be most effective he needs players in and around him to link up with.”

He added:

“Rooney can’t pick and choose where he plays – it’s not a testimonial. He is a lovely passer and technician but if he’s not playing to Kane’s strengths then the whole team suffer.”

“England weren’t creative enough in forward areas and Kane also wasn’t helped by his team-mates out wide. As a striker, when balls go into wide areas you want someone whipping the ball in early. Instead, England’s play was disjointed and uncertain.”