Wayne Rooney at a crossroads as future with England, Manchester United faces intense scrutiny

WAYNE Rooney still has much to offer at both club and international level — but where he fits in depends on his desire to accept change.

BASEL, SWITZERLAND - SEPTEMBER 08: Wayne Rooney of England applauds the fans after the EURO 2016 Qualifier match between Switzerland and England on September 8, 2014 in Basel, Switzerland. (Photo by Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images)

ENGLAND won! All is good in the world again!

Right! Well sort of!

STERLING IS NOW ‘ENGLAND’S DAVID SILVA’

MATCH REPORT: ENGLAND TOO GOOD FOR SWITZERLAND

WRAP: SPAIN’S NEW ERA OFF TO A WINNING START

The 2-0 win to begin their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign in Switzerland is a great result, no question.

Wayne Rooney worked hard for the cause in Switzerland.

But it did little to pacify the debate over Wayne Rooney — aka ‘Captain Fatso’.

With Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge nursing yet another injury, Rooney had Danny Welbeck upfront for company, and on the whole it was a much more suitable partnership for the skipper.

After all Welbeck scored a brace and Rooney himself set up the first. Some pundits were even carried away to suggest that Sturridge should be now be employed as a late-game shock weapon.

But while the trademark drive and determination was as evident as always — and his leadership qualities are developing nicely — there were other concerns with Rooney’s game — the wasteful passing and the heavy touches, for example.

He’s trying to remain his country’s biggest on-field asset — a position he’s held with aplomb for more than 10 years. But the rise, and rise, of Raheem Sterling is, while not forcing him into the background, leaving him a little unappreciated.

The great example of that was the cheeky ‘chubby’ reference from an obscure Norwegian defender named Vegard Forren before last week’s forgettable friendly at Wembley.

Even though England were awful at the World Cup in Brazil, Sterling was superb, with many now anointing him as the main man in Roy Hodgson’s side.

He may only be 19 but he is already creating such a huge buzz on the international stage that is probably only rivalled in recent times by Rooney himself back in 2004.

Danny Welbeck’s form presents an interesting conundrum for Roy Hodgson.

Rooney still has much to offer and is going to play, especially under Roy Hodgson, but where he fits in when Sturridge returns — and now that Welbeck is confident and scoring — is a mystery.

He’s not the goalscorer he once was and with goals on the offering in upcoming qualifying games against San Marino and Estonia, he may be a better fit sitting behind the two strikers.

He likely though can’t rely on a similar act of benevolence from his club manager. With Radamel Falcao now aboard at Old Trafford, Rooney is no longer the focal point of Manchester United’s attack.

Hodgson could well take a lead from what Louis Van Gaal does at Manchester United this weekend. The game against QPR could determine quite a lot.

Either Rooney or Robin Van Persie will likely be pushed back into a less advanced position, a role he actually played in the final days of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign. But it could also mean bench time.

Radamel Falcao’s arrival at Old Trafford adds a little more pressure to Rooney.

At 28 — 29 next month — Rooney’s career is essentially at a crossroads.

He is under more scrutiny than ever as new faces, changing tactics and the advancing years demand a reaction.

It’s not a Fernando Torres-type disappearing act — but it’s still mildly concerning.

The game is changing around him and how quickly he adapts will essentially define his career.

Remember back at Euro 2004 in Portugal when a fresh-faced 18-year-old Rooney scored four goals and announced himself to the world!

Well, it hasn’t really got any better since then — and the question needs to be asked: has England — and perhaps Rooney himself — wasted the best years of Rooney’s career?

That they haven’t won anything in Rooney’s peak years is really unfortunate. They are starting to get their act together in youth tournaments, but could their assimilation into the senior squad come too late for Rooney’s career?

He has carried the burden under managers from Sven Goran Eriksson to Fabio Capello.

England made the final eight in Portugal and might have gone on to win the whole thing if Rooney hadn’t broken his foot.

His 2006 World Cup was perhaps a microcosm of his career. Left out to start with, he played the latter part of the tournament and was then sent off against Portugal in the quarterfinal defeat on penalties.

Rooney with David Beckham in 2004.

England failed to qualify for Euro 2008 but were back among the world elite in South Africa four years ago. Rooney, fresh off perhaps his best season at club level, led the line for Capello but failed to score as England barely made the final 16.

Then, two years ago in the Ukraine and Poland, England were perhaps at their strongest in the Rooney era yet couldn’t deliver. The man himself missed the first two games through suspension but he came back to lead them into quarter-final battle against Italy.

They went out on penalties again.

The next month or so will reveal much about the future — and legacy — of Wayne Rooney.

Originally published as Wayne Rooney at a crossroads as future with England, Manchester United faces intense scrutiny