Why Isn't Wayne Rooney at the World Cup?
As England plays their first World Cup match today against Tunisia, fans will notice Wayne Rooney, an important fixture of English soccer, missing from the action.
Rooney declared his retirement from international matches last August. He even turned down invitations from England's manager Gareth Southgate to play in qualifying matches against Malta and Slovakia. The former English captain insisted that he could not be talked out of his decision to not play in the World Cup.
Rooney is England's all-time scorer in international matches, scoring 53 goals in 119 matches. He made his major tournament debut as an 18-year-old in Euro 2004 and went on to play in three World Cups and three European championships.
Rooney began his career with Everton, debuting in 2002 at the age of 16. Two years later, he left the club to go to Manchester United. Rooney returned to Everton 13 years later in 2017 and signed a two-year contract.
However, Rooney may be coming stateside in July to play for D.C. United. A decision has yet to made, but it appears Everton will not be Rooney's home much longer.
If Rooney leaves Everton, he will finish his English football career after scoring 281 club goals over the last 16 years.
