Rooney to remain as England captain

The Manchester United forward will break his country's appearance record for an outfield player in his next outing, and will continue to wear the armband under the new manager

Wayne Rooney will retain his role as England captain, Three Lions boss Sam Allardyce has confirmed.

The Manchester United star has held the armband since 2014, when he took over from ex-Liverpool favourite Steven Gerrard. 

And Allardyce announced there would be no change of skipper for his first matches in charge in September. 

“Wayne has been an excellent captain for England and the manner in which he has fulfilled the role made it an easy decision for me to ask him to continue,” the manager told TheFA.com.

“Wayne’s record speaks for itself. He is the most senior member of the squad and he is hugely respected by his peers.

“All of these factors point towards him being the right choice to lead the team.”

With 115 appearances for the England team Rooney is tied with David Beckham as the most-capped outfield player of all time. 

His 53 goals also make him the top scorer in Three Lions history, ahead of the likes of Bobby Charlton and Gary Lineker. 

Nigeria's Etebo Reveals Wayne Rooney Admiration

The forward has admitted he is a big fan of the Manchester United captain, while insisting the Dream Team VI will get it right in Rio

Nigeria U23 forward Oghenekaro Etebo has revealed his admiration for Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.

The forward who netted four times in Dream Team VI’s 5-4 win over Japan said he has always been a staunch fan of the Red Devil skipper.

“There’s one player that I really cherish most," Etebo told Fifa.com.

 "He’s playing for Manchester United and his name is Wayne Rooney. I really like him a lot from day one.”

The Feirense man who is expected to lead Samson Siasia side’s forward against Sweden while admitting his delight with his four-star performance against the Asians believes the team will get it right in Rio.

"I’m very happy because it was a great joy, although it wasn’t easy due to the stress and all that,” he continued.

 "If I had scored but we lost, it’s not going to be too fantastic. I’m happy we’re topping the group, and I’m really happy about the goals.

“I didn’t expect it at all. I’m not going for personal glory but team glory, which to me means [winning] gold. Without the gold, it’s going to be painful because achieving that is important for me, for Nigerians and for my team-mates.”

He added: “I’m not that perfect but I believe, like my coach says, once you get a chance, it’s better you convert it because you don’t know when you’re going to get another one.

“I just want to dedicate the goals to my family, friends and well wishers. I really appreciate them a lot. The way we are going, I believe we are going to get it right.