Off target: Ashley Cole missed a penalty in England's shootout defeat to Italy

Hodgson dismissed such talk, but there remained implied criticism of his star player’s performances.

‘We’ve monitored his fitness levels and in training he has looked very fit,’ he said. ‘I think we put a lot of expectation on him and maybe asked too much of him. He tried very hard, but didn’t have his best game. I think he’d admit that.’

Like the rest of England’s players, something as basic as passing proved difficult for Rooney in Kiev.

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