Former England captain, Wayne Rooney has criticised England boss Thomas Tuchel for leaving Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup, describing the decision as “mind-boggling”.
Alexander-Arnold has been overlooked in Tuchel’s last four England squads despite returning to regular action for Madrid after recovering from a thigh injury earlier this year.
Speaking on the Wayne Rooney Podcast on Thursday, the former England captain questioned why Ben White was selected ahead of the former Liverpool defender.
“No disrespect to Ben White – I think he’s a fantastic player – but for him to be in the squad and playing ahead of Trent is mind-boggling,” Rooney said.
England included Tino Livramento, Djed Spence and Ezri Konsa among their defensive options for the final home friendlies before the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Rooney admitted he would still choose Reece James as England’s first-choice right-back if fit, although he raised concerns over the defender’s consistency.
“Reece James isn’t the most defensive,” Rooney said. “In terms of the lads who are there, you wouldn’t say they’re the best defensively anyway.”
Former England defender Phil Jagielka also backed Alexander-Arnold to earn a place in the World Cup squad.
“I think he probably still makes it,” Jagielka said. “You need your best players.
“If he proves he can play half as well as he played for most of his time at Liverpool, he’s definitely worth taking on the plane.”
The discussion also turned to England’s left-back options, with Nico O’Reilly and Lewis Hall competing for a starting place.
Jagielka praised O’Reilly’s attacking quality but warned the youngster still has defensive weaknesses.
“I really, really enjoy watching O’Reilly, but he gets caught out of defence,” Jagielka said. “I’d go O’Reilly at this moment in time, but there’s literally nothing between him and Lewis,” Jagielka added.
Rooney, however, said he would trust the experience of Luke Shaw in major tournaments.
“We don’t need our full-backs to be the most attacking; we need them to defend,” Rooney said. “Keep the balance and let the attacking players win you the games.”
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