January 30th 2025.
Wayne Rooney is a big fan of Cole Palmer and he is not shy about expressing his admiration for the young player. In fact, Rooney has even reached out to the new England manager Thomas Tuchel, urging him to find a way to get Palmer on the Three Lions team. Tuchel, who was hired as Gareth Southgate's replacement last October, officially began his role at the start of this month and has been keeping a close eye on players as he prepares to name his first squad in March.
The upcoming World Cup qualifying games against Albania and Latvia at Wembley are just around the corner and there is no doubt that Palmer will be a part of the squad, as long as he remains injury-free. However, it remains to be seen if he will be able to secure a spot in the starting line-up and which position he will play in. Southgate received a lot of criticism last summer for not utilizing Palmer enough, with the 22-year-old only making brief appearances as a substitute.
But under Tuchel, it seems that Palmer will have a more significant role to play. The new England manager has spoken highly of Palmer's abilities and praised his composure and clinical finishing. Palmer has also had a great season at Chelsea, and Rooney believes that he has what it takes to perform consistently on the international stage. In an interview with The Overlap, Rooney expressed his belief that Palmer should be getting more playing time for England, especially in the current era of fluid formations and positions.
Of course, competition for places in the team is fierce, and even though Palmer may seem like a sure bet for selection, there are other talented players vying for a spot. One of them is Phil Foden, who has recently bounced back to form at Manchester City after a slow start to the season. Foden, who also struggled to make an impact for England last summer, has openly expressed his frustration with being played out of position on the left. He believes that his best position is in the center of midfield, where he excelled for City last season.
Rooney, who himself has played in various positions during his career, sympathizes with Foden's struggles. But he also points out that in today's game, positions are not as rigid as they used to be, and players are expected to rotate and adapt to different roles. In fact, Rooney himself used to hate playing on the right side of the field, but he acknowledges that the game has evolved and players are now expected to be versatile. In the end, both Rooney and Foden are hoping for a better performance from England in the upcoming qualifiers, and they believe that with the right tactics and flexibility, the team can reach its full potential.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
