England Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson named Wayne Rooney as the new team captain, taking the place of Steven Gerrard, who recently retired from international football.
Hodgson, who is set to lead the Three Lions in the upcoming Euro 2016 qualifying process, announced his decision in a news conference on Thursday, saying that he felt Rooney was the best man to wear the captain's armband moving forward.
"I gave it a lot of thought, but I think Wayne is an obvious choice. He certainly deserves it," Hodgson said via ESPN FC. "His commitment to the cause, his experience, the fact that he has captained England in the past and now of course he has the responsibility at Man United, all those factors weighed in my thought process."
Rooney, who has only captained the Three Lions twice in his long international career that started in 2003, was elated with Hodgson's decision, saying that being named as England's full-time captain is a dream come true.
"To be named as the England captain is a dream come true for me personally and of course for my family. It is something I will take massive pride in doing," Rooney said via his official website. "As a kid I always loved the occasion of watching a big England game on the television. Back then I had a burning ambition to play for my country. Now to be appointed captain is beyond my wildest dreams."
Rooney will wear the armband as the official captain for the first time on Sept. 3 when the Three Lions collide with Norway at the Wembley Stadium before skippering England in the Euro 2016 qualifying match against Switzerland on Sept. 8.
The Manchester United striker, who has 40 goals in 95 international matches for England, said that he intends to speak with Gerrard to know more about the things that he need to do as captain.
"intend to speak with Steven about different aspects of the role. We had a great relationship from the moment we played together for our country right up to our final game in Brazil. I am sure if I ever need to seek his advice he will be there to help," Rooney added.
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