Rooney’s forward thinking can help England

The 27-year-old endured a difficult summer, during which the striker failed to force through a much-touted move to Chelsea.

Rooney had grown increasingly disillusioned at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson, who had shunted England’s talisman away from his preferred striking role to accommodate the likes of Robin van Persie and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Now, however, the United striker insists he is enjoying his football again and is ready to fire the Three Lions towards next year’s World Cup finals in Brazil.

He said: “I know myself that last year wasn’t my best season but there were times when I was playing in different positions.

“I felt I didn’t really get that run of consistent games up front. Sometimes, when you are not playing that position all the time it can be difficult to adapt.

“But it has been a bit different in terms of David Moyes and his staff coming in. The training is different, there is a different style and thinking as to how he wants us to play.

“It is a mixture of things but I am happy and enjoying my football. I have been focused and been wanting to prove to people that I am a top player. That is what I have tried to do.”

Rooney may not have mentioned Ferguson by name yesterday when speaking to the media ahead of the qualifying double-header against Montenegro and Poland.

But after falling out publicly with his then club manager at the end of last season, he has returned this season with a vengeance.

Even with United struggling, Rooney has netted five goals in eight appearances under Moyes and been the club’s standout player.

He said: “David Moyes is playing me up front and I am enjoying it. I have had no problem playing out of position in the past but I am a forward and I felt I deserved the right to play in my position.

“Naturally, I was a bit disappointed (not to play up front) and maybe that affected some of the games I played.

“I can go and play in midfield maybe when I am a bit older. When I am losing my legs a bit, I can go back there.

“I am not saying I wouldn’t, for instance, (play in midfield) if it was the last 10-15 minutes of a game and we were holding on a bit. I am not saying I would throw my arms up and not do it if asked to drop to the left or drop in to help see the game out.

“But everyone at the club knew that is where I wanted to play and I think that is why I was disappointed I got told to play in midfield. I didn’t want to.

“I would always go in and try to help the team but I think there had to come a point where, for my own career, I had to be a bit selfish.”

On the much-touted possible move to Stamford Bridge during the close season, Rooney added: “To be honest, I have been settled all summer.

“Obviously, there has been a lot of stuff happening and people waiting for me to say whatever. But I’ve spoken to the people who matter at the club and we have known ourselves what we are doing.

“I didn’t want to come out saying anything. I wanted to just concentrate on my football. That is what I have done and that is what I will continue to do.”

Pressed on whether he will extend his Old Trafford contract, which has less than two years to run, the striker added: “You can see I am playing and I am happy in my football.

“I will have more discussions with the club and we will see what happens from there.”

Rooney’s courting by Chelsea was one of the transfer sagas of the summer with Jose Mourinho making no secret of his desire to take the striker south.

Moyes, however, was having none of it and England will be hoping to be the beneficiary of their talisman’s spirits having been restored in recent weeks.

Rooney, who has 36 goals to his name in international football and seven from eight games since Euro 2012, said: “Over the last five or six years, this is probably the most excited I have been about England games. We have got two games at Wembley, we need six points and it is great.

“In the squad, when you look round, there are so many young players with so much talent, exciting players who can do some unbelievable things.

“Montenegro will sit back and try and defend the box. So, we will have to break them down. If we can do that and get an early goal, I really think we can take the game to them.”

England go into the final double-header of qualifying with the only remaining unbeaten record in Group H. On the downside, however, Roy Hodgson’s side have only beaten the minnows of Moldova and San Marino in those eight games.

Criticism has followed the England squad as a result of this inability to beat any of their main rivals, with Gary Lineker incurring the wrath of Hodgson last month by tweeting that the national team’s display in drawing 0-0 with Ukraine had been “awful”.

Rooney feels such swipes at Hodgson are unfair, and has even gone so far as to say he is enjoying working with him more than any other England manager.

He said: “His man-management is really good. He really speaks to us. And he’s shown a lot of trust in me, both on the pitch and off the pitch.

“I think the big difference is going from an Italian manager and Italian coaching staff to an all-English manager and staff. I think that was really needed.”