Rooney can be England leader: McLaren
England assistant manager Steve McClaren has echoed Sven Goran Eriksson’s prediction that Wayne Rooney can one day captain the national team.
Eriksson claimed yesterday the Manchester United striker has all the makings of a leader having matured since his introduction to the England team and dismissed suggestions the 20-year-old could be let down by his temperament.
Middlesbrough boss McClaren shares that view, claiming: “Yes, without a doubt. He has already shown signs of leadership on the field – he takes responsibility, he always takes the ball, he is a winner and that is the first ingredient of a good captain, to be a winner.”
McClaren will travel to his second World Cup alongside Eriksson this summer and described qualifying for the tournament as a high point.
“Qualifying was great excitement- one of the highlights of my career so far,” he told Sky Sports News. “Getting to another World Cup is right at the back of my mind at the moment.
“Playing in Stuttgart in the week [in the UEFA Cup] brings a little tingle to you and a little bit of excitement but we’ve got a long way to go.”
McClaren’s future at the Riverside had come into question after a poor run, rounded off by a 4-0 home defeat by Aston Villa and he admits the cups are important for Boro’s season.
“I knew the pressure was on me personally but that comes from within. I wasn’t winning football matches and I don’t like that. When we are winning it’s a far happier world,” he said.
“(The cups are) very important. I can’t see us getting into Europe through the Premier League at the moment and we have to get a few wins to get out of the danger zone there. The cups provide a welcome distraction.”
