Wayne Rooney retires from international football

Wayne Rooney has announced that he is to retire from international football with immediate effect.

The 31-year-old was recalled to the side following a thrilling start to the season after a return to his boyhood club Everton, where he has scored two goals in two Premier League games.

Rooney was dropped from Gareth Southgate’s England side last season, as the manager believed Rooney was not getting enough match-time at Manchester United.

The last game he played for the Three Lions was a 3-0 win over Scotland in November, which he led as captain.

The forward declined Southgate’s offer to re-join the squad, claiming he was “focusing on Everton”.

He is England’s all-time top scorer, with 53 goals, and is the second most-capped player for the national side, with 119 appearances compared to Peter Shilton’s 125.