Thumbs up: England captain and midfielder Steven Gerrard looked happy to be in Poland

‘I think we (he and Welbeck) can play as a pair. The way he’s played this season shows he’s getting better and he’ll be a better player again next year.

‘I feel me and him work well. It gives me the chance to have that bit of freedom to get in the holes and spaces around the box.’

Rooney says the arrival of Roy Hodgson as England manager has been a positive experience for the players. But he also thanks him, in an interview with the BBC, for selecting him when he is ruled out of the games against France and Sweden.

‘When there’s a change of manager, regardless of who it is, you think he might bring in fresh players and want to change it,’ said Rooney. ‘It was great for me that he said he would take me. Hopefully, I can repay him.

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