England skipper says in-form Man Utd striker will deliver in style against Wales tonight
England skipper says in-form Man Utd striker will deliver in style against Wales tonight
England captain John Terry believes Wayne Rooney is back in the kind of sublime form that could turn his side into serious contenders for Euro 2012.
Fabio Capello's team can take another giant step towards qualifying for the finals in Poland and Ukraine if they defeat neighbours Wales at Wembley tonight and Rooney will be expected to lead the charge after ending his international goal drought in Friday's 3-0 win over Bulgaria.
Red hot: England striker Wayne Rooney. PIC/getty images
Rooney had gone 15 matches without scoring for England before he netted a header from Gareth Barry's corner and then converted an Ashley Young pass in sink the Bulgarians.
As a result of Rooney's double in Sofia, Terry & Co need four points from their last two matches to guarantee qualification as group winners.
Terry was delighted to see Rooney transfer his club form onto the international stage and he is confident the Manchester United striker will remain England's main man for the next 10 years.
"Wayne is flying again, he's been excellent all week and he's still very much at the forefront of this side," Terry said.
"Everyone has been talking about younger players and older players but Wayne doesn't really fall into either category. He still has an awful lot to give over the next 10 years, I'm very confident of that.
"He's showed some great early form for Manchester United and just continued that when he linked up with England. He's great to have around the camp as well, he never settles for anything less than winning, even in training, and his enthusiasm rubs off on the younger players," added Terry
Rooney's renaissance comes just over a year after his lowest moment in an England shirt when he swore at his country's supporters after they jeered him and his teammates following a 0-0 draw against Algeria at the 2010 World Cup.
He insists that bitter moment has been consigned to the past. "They (fans) were great in Bulgaria and I thank them for their support. It was a great win and if we can do it again (tonight), we have more or less qualified."
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