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Rooney happy to play anywhere under Capello
Wayne Rooney will play anywhere for England boss Fabio Capello - but admits he can cause more damage through the middle, supporting an out-and-out striker.
The Manchester United forward started yesterday's 5-1 win against Kazakhstan on the left flank but was shifted inside in a 4-4-1-1 system after a goalless first half at Wembley.
It resulted in two goals for the 22-year-old - and a dilemma for Capello before the Belarus clash in Minsk on Wednesday when England look to protect their perfect record in 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
Rooney, relishing his role in the middle supporting Emile Heskey, said: "I'm a lot more on the ball, and it's better to play. But if the manager wants me to play left then I will.
"In the first half I played more towards the left and second half I started playing just off Emile. It was two different roles."
Rooney's performance in the victory over Croatia was arguably his finest for England - he scored in Zagreb, and two against Kazakhstan took his tally to 17 after his first international double for four years.
England players consider Rooney to be too unselfish for his own good, but Rooney insisted: "I wouldn't say my record is too bad - it's just outside one in two. It's not one in four or five.
"I've always said my game is not all about goals and I'm pleased with my record and how I've been playing."
He now wants to score consistently rather than going through goalscoring spurts.
"When I play for United it's always been like that - the goals have all come at once and then a little break," he added.
"I'd like to do it a bit more consistently and keep scoring throughout - but that is just the way it has happened."
Rooney was inches from a Wembley hat-trick, but Alexandr Kuchma got the last touch as the pair jumped for a free-kick - and the England forward joked that his new shaven head was not to blame for finishing with only two goals.
"No, maybe if I had Crouchy's legs I would have scored," he said.
Heskey is set to win his 50th England cap if he features against Belarus - and he came close to his first international goal in five years towards the end of the Kazakhstan win.
"Not scoring does not play on my mind," said the Wigan striker.
"I was trying to get that goal at the end and I couldn't even get my hand on it. I'm going to carry on and hope that will come."
Heskey feels England will need to improve against Belarus this week if they are to make it four wins from four so far in the campaign.
"We'll have to be a lot better than we were against Kazakhstan. We have to get at them - and I think we will," he said.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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