Wayne Rooney Talks 'Embarrassing' England Loss to Iceland, Roy Hodgson, More

England captain Wayne Rooney has insisted he wants to remain part of the national team setup despite the side’s “embarrassing” 2-1 loss to Iceland in the last 16 of the 2016 UEFA European Championship on Monday. 

The loss was the biggest surprise of the tournament so far, as a star-studded Three Lions team failed to find a way back into the game after falling 2-1 behind. For manager Roy Hodgson the contest proved to be the end, as he announced afterwards that he would not be renewing his contract with the Football Association, per BBC Sport.

Rooney reflected on a nadir for the national team. “It is tough, they scored two and we couldn’t get the equaliser. It is a hard one to take, it is embarrassing,” said the captain, per Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail. “We know we are a better team. You can’t explain it by saying we could have done this or that. We tried to create chances, but unfortunately we couldn’t win.”

On his own international future, the Manchester United man said: “I’ve been asked many times, but I’m proud to play for England and I’ll see who the next manager is, and, if selected, I’m available to play.”

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While he was far from the only one, Rooney was well below his best in Nice, unable to dictate the tempo of the game as he’s done from a midfield berth in the tournament prior to the knockout stages. Per WhoScored.com, his passing was particularly profligate: 

The captain, England’s all-time record goalscorer, has endured many tournament heartbreaks. In 2004, as an 18-year-old, Rooney got injured when he was a force of nature up front, before he was sent off at the 2006 FIFA World Cup two years later. While more exits have followed, few would have hurt more than the elimination to Iceland.

Hodgson has overseen three eliminations, with no knockout games won at any major tournament under his guidance. Still, Rooney paid tribute to the influence the former England boss has had on the players.

“Roy told all the players (of his decision to resign) after the game and went around and thanked them all,” said the United man. “As a group of players we appreciate what he’s done for us, he has given a lot of them their England debuts, and you can’t forget that.”

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Despite the malaise that will grip the English game in the aftermath of this result, there is potential for an exciting future, with players such as Dele Alli, Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane all set to achieve big things in the game. But with another period of transition set to be ushered in with these players at the forefront, perhaps it is time for the likes of Rooney to move aside.

BBC Sport’s Simon Stone is unsure whether someone of the 30-year-old’s calibre should be written off just yet, though:

Rooney has been one of the bright points of Hodgson’s tenure, scoring goals, maturing as a captain and memorably breaking the England goalscoring record. They’ve worked well together at times, and there's evidently an affinity between the pair. With those links in mind, perhaps the new manager might seek to take the team in a different direction with a new leader.

But candidates are scarce. For a nation that’s been renowned for producing galvanising skippers in the mould of Bobby Moore, Bryan Robson, Billy Wright and Steven Gerrard, there’s a distinct lack of characters within the current crop. With that in mind, Rooney surely still has a role to play.