Southgate backs skipper Rooney

INTERIM manager Gareth Southgate is more interested in Wayne Rooney's leadership qualities than the England captain's recent lack of game time.

The summer saw standard pre-tournament excitement followed by increasingly predictable soul-searching, albeit few could have foreseen the Euro 2016 exit coming at the hands of Iceland.

Well-travelled Roy Hodgson was succeeded by well-versed Sam Allardyce, but his reign last week came to an ignominious end after just 67 days having been secretly-recorded making controversial comments by the Daily Telegraph.

England Under-21s boss Southgate has been temporarily parachuted in with the remit of restoring stability in the final four matches of the year, starting with the fast-approaching World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovenia.

That suddenness has led the interim manager to seek continuity, which is part of the rationale behind keeping Rooney as captain at a time when his place for club and country has come under more scrutiny than ever before.

"I think when I've been with the under-21s I've had lots of players who aren't playing but we are always looking at what's our best team," he said when asked about England's all-time top scorer starting the last three Manchester United matches on the bench.

"The decision with Wayne is who is the best leader for this moment and there's no reason to change that."

Rooney's 116 caps make him far and away the most experienced player in the 23-man group, albeit such leaders do not necessarily need to be in the starting line-up.

"I think people can lead without being on the pitch - by the way I'm not saying that will be the case this weekend," Southgate said, in reference to Rooney's role against Malta on Saturday.

"I think you have to have leaders who aren't in the team.

"You have to have connections throughout because if you go to a tournament the group that doesn't start can kill it."

Injury has denied Raheem Sterling the chance to take his fine Manchester City form away with England.

Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend has been named as his replacement.