Gareth Southgate has confirmed that Wayne Rooney will captain England in Friday's World Cup qualifier against Scotland at Wembley.
The Manchester United forward was dropped to the bench by Southgate for last month's goalless draw with Slovenia, sparking doubt over his international future.
It has been a similar state of affairs at club level, as Rooney has struggled to maintain a starting spot under manager Jose Mourinho due to a lack of form and uncertainty over his positioning.
However, the tide appears to be turning for Rooney as he scored in United's 2-1 defeat to Fenerbahce in the Europa League and was named in the first XI for last weekend's league victory over Swansea City.
As a result of his upturn in form, Rooney has been told by Southgate that he will lead England out onto the pitch in tomorrow's clash.
"[Rooney] is in a better place than he was in the last get-together in terms of his sharpness," Southgate told reporters in Thursday's press conference.
"I think he's an experienced player for a game like this, there was no hesitation from me in selecting him. He's playing well for Manchester United, I think he's a player who it helps when he gets into a rhythm."
Meanwhile, there were reports that Southgate was concerned about Harry Kane's fitness as the Tottenham Hotspur striker returned from a six-week layoff at the weekend, but the interim England boss has confirmed that the 23-year-old is fit and available for selection.
Danielle Joynson
