Former England captain Wayne Rooney has criticised England manager Thomas Tuchel for repeatedly leaving Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the national team squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Alexander-Arnold has missed England’s last four squad selections despite returning to regular action for Real Madrid after recovering from a thigh injury earlier this year.
Speaking on his podcast on Thursday, Rooney said he was surprised that Ben White was preferred ahead of the former Liverpool FC defender.
Rooney stressed that although White is a quality player, overlooking Alexander-Arnold was “mind-boggling.”
England’s defensive options for the upcoming World Cup warm-up friendlies include Tino Livramento, Djed Spence and Ezri Konsa.
Rooney also said that a fully fit Reece James would remain his preferred choice at right-back, although he questioned the defender’s reliability and defensive consistency.
Former England defender Phil Jagielka also backed Alexander-Arnold for a place in England’s World Cup squad, insisting the team must take its best players to the tournament.
The debate further touched on England’s left-back options, with Nico O’Reilly and Lewis Hall competing for a starting role.
While Jagielka praised O’Reilly’s attacking ability, he noted the youngster still has defensive shortcomings. Rooney, meanwhile, argued that England need defensively disciplined full-backs and said the experience of Luke Shaw could be vital in major tournaments.
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