Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has insisted that Wayne Rooney is still a "massive" player for England despite being dropped to the bench for the World Cup qualifier against Slovenia.
Interim England boss Gareth Southgate yesterday confirmed that Rooney would not start in Ljubljana having also lost his place in the Manchester United lineup recently.
However, Henderson, who will captain his country in Rooney's absence, stressed the importance of the 30-year-old to the team both on and off the field.
"Wayne is very experienced, for me he has been one of the best players in the world for many years and he sets an example to all of us on and off the field. He is someone we all look up to as a captain and a leader for his experience and the type of person that he is," he told reporters.
"He is massive for this team and just because he is not playing, it won't change anything. I am sure people will make a big deal of him not starting but, in football, teams change tactically for different opposition and for different reasons.
"As I said, this doesn't change anything for us as a team in terms of Wayne not starting. He is our captain, he leads by example, and he'll be ready to come on and make an impact when given the opportunity."
Rooney has won 117 caps for England, just eight fewer than the all-time record held by Peter Shilton.
Barney Corkhill
