Rooney is still king of the jungle: How England captain has reinvented his role to become true heart of the Three Lions

Rooney, though, is a more much more strategic thinker than popular caricature would have you believe and had an eye on the longevity of his football career. He is also England's most intelligent footballer, in the sense that he sees the game in wider focus than almost anyone. All the best English players of the modern era such as Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne and Paul Scholes had that ability and it has always been his greatest strength.