Wayne Rooney, the former captain of England, called England manager Thomas Tuchel’s decision to exclude Trent Alexander-Arnold from the squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup “mind-boggling.”
Despite returning to regular action for Madrid after recovering from a thigh injury earlier this year, Alexander-Arnold has been left out of Tuchel’s previous four England selections.
The former England captain questioned why Ben White was chosen over the former Liverpool defender during an appearance on the Wayne Rooney Podcast on Thursday.
“I think Ben White is a fantastic player, but it’s mind-boggling that he’s in the squad and playing ahead of Trent,” Rooney remarked.
For the final home friendlies prior to the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, England’s defensive options included Tino Livramento, Djed Spence, and Ezri Konsa.
Rooney said that, if healthy, he would still pick Reece James as England’s starting right-back, despite his reservations about the defender’s dependability.
Rooney remarked, “Reece James isn’t the most defensive.” “You wouldn’t say the boys there are the best defensively nonetheless.
Phil Jagielka, a former England defender, also supported Alexander-Arnold’s inclusion in the World Cup team.Jagielka remarked, “I think he probably still makes it.” “Your best players are essential.”
“He’s definitely worth taking on the plane if he can play half as well as he did for the majority of his time at Liverpool.”
With Lewis Hall and Nico O’Reilly vying for a starting spot, the topic of England’s left-back alternatives also came up.
While praising O’Reilly’s attacking skills, Jagielka cautioned that the young player still has defensive flaws. Jagielka remarked, “I really, really enjoy watching O’Reilly, but he gets caught out of defense.” “At this point, I’d go O’Reilly, but there’s literally nothing between him and Lewis,” Jagielka continued.
However, Rooney stated that he will rely on Luke Shaw’s expertise in significant competitions. Rooney stated, “We need our full-backs to defend; we don’t need them to be the most offensive. “Maintain equilibrium and allow the attacking players to win the games.”
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