Wayne Rooney refutes England squad place guarantee claims

England striker Wayne Rooney has strongly denied claims that he has a guaranteed place in the Three Lions' lineup.

The 28-year-old Manchester United forward's performance in the 2-1 defeat by Italy in Manaus has come under scrutiny by critics.

According to The Mirror, when Rooney was asked by journalists whether he felt that he was always guaranteed a place in the England starting XI, he retorted: "I've never felt that. I don't know why you said that. Why would I feel my place in the team is guaranteed?

"I work hard to try and get in that team. I have never said my place is guaranteed. I don't expect to play, I work hard. I want to play.

"We have got a lot of good, young players so we will all work hard, all give the manager different options, different choices and whoever he picks then I am sure we will all respect that."

To date, Rooney has never scored a goal in a World Cup finals tournament.