My thoughts on international football might well have been aired on numerous occasions before.
It is not my cup of tea, but I can understand whilst it does have a massive audience.
Furthermore, with England’s World Cup heroics having stirred the nation, the market for international football could be seen, in this country, to be growing.
Shortly, the 2018 / 2019 Premier League season will come to a halt again as we break for the third international break of the season.
During this England will play the USA and Croatia, but it is the USA game that forms the basis of this article.
The fixture is nothing more than a friendly and it has been announced that one Wayne Rooney will be invited to play for his country again, after retiring from the international scene almost two years ago.
Now, I’m not denying that Rooney, during his prime, was one of the best strikers in the game, but the reasoning as to why he’s been invited to participate galls me.
The official reason being given is that somewhere, somebody was of the opinion Rooney, who has 119 caps, deserves to be given the chance to say cheerio to the public.
But, are their other motives?
Firstly, I’m surprised that Gareth Southgate has stood back and allowed this charade to happen, Rooney has had his day, he was the one who decided to opt out of the international game and he was the one who decided to leave Everton to pursue a swansong in the US.
But, could that be the answer, could Rooney’s presence in the England side, albeit fleetingly we hope, be a marketing ploy to boost ticket sales for the friendly?
It wouldn’t surprise me, football remains a cash cow with the public being continually fleeced, perhaps, even though England had a glorious summer, there is the feeling that we’re being overloaded with fixtures and enough is enough.
Where will it all end?
Could Alan Shearer be next in line for a fond farewell?
