No automatic start for skipper Rooney

NEW England manager Gareth Southgate intends to keep Wayne Rooney as national captain, but stressed the role did not come with a guaranteed starting place.

Southgate faced the media at Wembley a day after signing a four-year deal - with no break clause - and was pressed on Rooney's status.

The country's leading scorer has endured an indifferent season on the field and during the last international break found himself in an unwanted media furore when pictures emerged of him socialising with guests in the early hours at the team hotel.

Southgate will review the protocols around how free time is spent during international get-togethers as a priority, but he will not be reassigning the captaincy.

Instead Rooney will continue as skipper, as long as he is on the pitch.

"Wayne is England captain," he said.

"I think I said that at the beginning of the interim period but what's also clear is I've only selected him to start in two of the four matches we've had.

"Obviously it's not the case that Wayne expects to play every game. It's important for me to develop more leaders.

"Wayne has played an important part for England up to this point and I'm sure he can do that in the future but we also have to develop others."