Louis van Gaal: 'Wayne Rooney remains England's best striker'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 08 April 2016

Wayne Rooney's past record proves that he is "the best striker" available to England boss Roy Hodgson, according to his club manager Louis van Gaal.

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has insisted that Wayne Rooney remains the best striking option available to England at this summer's European Championships.

A lack of fitness for the 30-year-old has seen his place in the Three Lions' squad for the upcoming finals in France called into question by many.

Rooney is scheduled to make his comeback from injury on Monday when running out for United's Under-21s side, but he now faces an uphill battle ousting the likes of Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy from the England fold.

Van Gaal is more than confident in his skipper's goalscoring ability, though, claiming that his past record shows just what an important influence he can be in any side.

"It always depends on the shape of a player's form," the Dutchman is quoted as saying by The Telegraph. "Normally, he is the best striker but Harry Kane – how many has he scored?

"It's also dependable on how your team are playing, so you cannot say so easily, but when you see Wayne's record he is the best striker. He is the easiest player for a manager because he is always doing everything."

Rooney has found the net 14 times this season, compared to Kane's tally of 25 at Tottenham Hotspur and Vardy's 19 for Leicester City.