Rooney keeps armband

SAM Allardyce may have kept Wayne Rooney waiting but he insists it was an "easy decision" to keep him on as England captain.

Rooney will continue in the role he has held for the past two years after Allardyce reappointed the Manchester United forward on Monday evening, following his squad's first get-together at St George's Park.

Though Allardyce declined to make the announcement at the start of his tenure as manager, that is not to say it was a call he was wrestling with.

"Wayne has been an excellent captain for England and the manner in which he has fulfilled the role made it an easy decision for me to ask him to continue," said Allardyce, who is preparing for his first game in Slovakia on Sunday.

"Wayne's record speaks for itself, he is the most senior member of the squad and he is hugely respected by his peers. All of these factors point towards him being the right choice to lead the team."

LACK

The 61-year-old might also have mentioned the lack of obvious alternatives, with Joe Hart and Chris Smalling currently out-of-favour at their clubs, while the likes of Jordan Henderson, Eric Dier and Harry Kane are still making their way with England.

Rooney might have been criticised for his lax showing in the defeat to Iceland this summer, but with 115 caps and a national record 53 goals there is nobody else who can match his stature in the set-up.

Allardyce sees a man who can bear the burden of leadership. "It's all about the personality. Can you handle the responsibility of being captain?" he said.