Ian Wright has backed Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United stars to flourish for England in the absence of Wayne Rooney.
Ian Wright
Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes Dele Alli and Marcus Rashford could form a fantastic combination for England in the absence of Wayne Rooney, and wants to see the United striker played through the middle as a conventional number 9, when writing his column for the Sun.
Rashord, 18, and Alli, 20, both burst on to the scene last season, although the Manchester United youngster’s introduction to the game was more out of the blue than Alli’s.
England’s Dele Alli
His incredible pace and explosiveness has proved to be a thorn in the side of some of the Premier League’s best defenders, and surely if he was used at international level, he would still be considered as somewhat of an unknown quantity.
Writing his column for the Sun, Wright explained how, while while Rooney has big boots to fill, a twin-pronged attack of Rashford and Alli could relieve the pressure on someone being the 30-year-old’s direct replacement:
“Wayne Rooney will leave almighty boots for someone to fill. But rather than one man doing so, I don’t see any reason why it can’t be two of the brightest young talents in the game – Marcus Rashford and Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli. We’ve all been amazed at how he’s burst through and taken every step up in his laid-back stride. I’d love to see England playing him up top, as a genuine No 9, with Dele just in behind and pulling all the strings.”
England interim manager Gareth Southgate with Marcus Rashford
Tonight’s game in Slovenia is a huge one for England, and a win would set the tone for their qualifying campaign, while a draw or a loss would surely heap more pressure on a nation that has had to endure fair amounts of criticism over recent months, for reasons both on and off the pitch.
England’s Wayne Rooney during the press conference
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