Wayne Rooney has fired a shot across the bow of Gareth Southgate, publicly backing Kobbie Mainoo over Elliot Anderson for England's crucial World Cup showdown with DR Congo. On his popular podcast 'The Wayne Rooney Show', the former Three Lions skipper suggested that Mainoo should be part of a midfield trio alongside Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham in Wednesday's last-32 encounter, rather than letting veteran Jordan Henderson get a look-in.
Mainoo, 21, has been on a wild ride at Manchester United. Dropped by Ruben Amorim but then rescued by Michael Carrick, he's bounced back into the team and caught Southgate's eye with four friendly outings under his belt. Although he didn't get off the bench in England's World Cup group games, Mainoo's resurgence has sparked debate about who should start against DR Congo.
Elliot Anderson, meanwhile, has started all three of England's Group L matches – but Rooney believes Mainoo's technical prowess would be a game-changer. "Mainoo can give you a bit of both," Rooney said on his show. "In tight areas, that's Mainoo's biggest strength – his feet in tight areas, and then he has got a little pass. I think he's the only one who is capable of doing that in those tight areas."
The midfield debate raged on after England's 2-0 win over Panama, where Henderson was brought on instead of Mainoo. Even former Three Lions striker Emile Heskey weighed in, expressing surprise at Henderson's selection and wondering why a younger player with potential wasn't given the nod.
Rooney also waded into the transfer speculation surrounding Anderson, acknowledging him as a "fantastic player" but cautioning that big-money moves don't always guarantee success. He cited past examples like Kalvin Phillips and Jack Grealish to drive home his point. The World Cup last-32 clash against DR Congo kicks off at 17:00 BST on Wednesday, live on BBC One and BBC Radio 5 Live.