Wayne Rooney's Qualifier Performance Proves He's a Worthy England Captain

Some fans may have questioned Roy Hodgson's decision to name Wayne Rooney as captain of his Euro 2016 qualifiers England squad, but the Manchester United forward's performance during the team's 2-0 win against Switzerland should silence all doubters.

Rooney wasn't perfect on the night, but in a difficult environment and against one of Europe's most underrated sides, he more than held his own leading the Three Lions' attack. After a shaky start, his confidence grew considerably throughout the match and so did England's performance.

Rooney's high press on the Swiss defence led to Danny Welbeck's first goal. His distribution and work rate were solid, as was his willingness to battle it out against the Swiss' army of physical midfielders.

Sure, the likes of Welbeck and Raheem Sterling will rightfully receive a lot of credit for their performances. But when it was all said and done, it was still Rooney who led the team in chances created, per OptaJoe:

He did enough to warrant the Daily Mirror's John Cross' pick as man of the match:

Manchester Evening News' Rob Dawson was also impressed:

And there's the kicker. As Dawson suggests, Rooney was far from his best. Like his Manchester United teammates, his form has been missing since the start of the 2014-15 season.

He had an excellent chance to open the scoring in the first half, missing the type of volley an in-form Rooney would have turned into a highlight play.

He's one of the most scrutinized players in the world, and in the midst of United's terrible start to the season, he could have folded like so many fans expected. But he didn't, and during his post-match interview, he refused to address the naysayers, giving credit to his teammates, and Welbeck in particular, per Sky Sports' Ben Hampshire:

"

I thought it was a really good performance, delighted we got the three points.

It was a good team performance, we worked hard for each other and we defended really well. We're delighted with the three points and the performance tonight.

[Welbeck] He took his chances really well.

He got a little bit lucky with the first but it was a well-worked team goal and his work effort is excellent.

"

After all of the negativity of the past few weeks, Rooney overcame adversity on the pitch, grew into the match and delivered a more than solid performance. And still, fans will come out in force on social media and claim he had an awful match:

"

Lambert did more in the last few minutes than Rooney in the whole game.

— MrBoywunder (@MrBoywunder) September 8, 2014"

The man who supposedly did less than Rickie Lambert, who was subbed in at the end of regulation, ended up providing more chances than anyone else on the pitch. Such is life for Rooney, who seemingly can't do anything right for some fans.

He's gotten used to it by now. He understands the pressure, and for years, he's dealt with it. That's the kind of stuff your captain should be made of. John Terry agrees:

Fans will complain and question Hodgson's decision. That's simply what it's like when you're in charge of the English national team. But in Rooney, Hodgson has chosen a captain who has proved he can take it. All of the media scrutiny and the taunts from fans no longer have an effect, after years of developing perhaps the thickest skin in all of football.

England need a leader, and on Monday, Rooney proved he can be that man. He wasn't perfect, but in overcoming a sloppy start to help lead the team to a win, he showed he has what it takes to lead this team back to the promised land.

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