England legend Sir Geoff Hurst has insisted that Wayne Rooney has nothing left to give the national side and should therefore be overlooked by Gareth Southgate for the upcoming games against Malta and Slovenia.
The 31-year-old, left out of the Three Lions' last squad, is reportedly back in Southgate's plans after reigniting his career by joining boyhood club Everton this summer.
Rooney has scored in both of the Toffees' Premier League fixtures so far, including the opener in Monday's 1-1 draw against Manchester City, but Hurst believes that it would be better for England to move on without their all-time record scorer.
"[Southgate] has made some bold decisions and I think the bold one he can make is, for me, to say it's the end of Wayne Rooney's international career," Sky Sports News quotes him as saying.
"He has been an absolutely fantastic player. At club level he wasn't playing regularly for Manchester United last season, which is an indication - and if you are not playing regularly at club level you certainly should not represent England in my opinion.
"I wouldn't necessary call it a bold decision to not play Wayne Rooney anymore, but if I were in charge of the national team I would call Wayne up and say, 'thanks very much'.
"He has been a fantastic player, one of the greatest players in this country but old Father Time, and I have been there as a striker, comes where you lose a bit of sharpness and I think his time playing for England is over."
Hurst scored a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup final win against West Germany to help England to their only major success.
Daniel Lewis
