Wayne Rooney return shows England were right to celebrate him – just not with a cap

There were 57 minutes on the clock when this match started. England were two nil up at the time, which highlights the absurdity of his involvement. Whatever passed before was always going to be obliterated by the Rooney-fication of Wembley. Thank goodness the pitch invader who made a beeline for our hero shortly after his introduction had only love in his heart.

Wayne Rooney was never going to let anyone down on the paddock. In this setting against a poor American team Rooney looked anything but out of place. As he always did, Rooney put the yards in, tracking back in the rare moments England were stretched. In possession he was neat and productive the touch as assured as ever it was. There was the familiar aggression too. Only the legs are not what they were.

Before the game a guard of honour formed of both teams ushered Rooney towards FA chairman Greg Clarke and England skipper Harry Kane. In close attendance, his four boys wore shirts embossed with Daddy 120 on the back. Fantastic, a fitting tribute to a great player. It is right that we mark the contributions of historically significant figures. But if we are to make a feature of this it must respect the traditions of the game and more importantly the opposition. This ceremony should have ended there.

On merit

Rooney won every one of his 119 caps on merit and when invited to continue his career at the beginning of last year, concluded that his time had come. He was right. His last cap came two years ago against Scotland. Gareth Southgate’s decision to omit him from the squad the following March was justified and helped establish the coach’s authority. England have not looked back. While the sentiment behind Rooney’s inclusion was in order his selection in the team was not.

Ultimately the performance of the generation that ushered him out told us that. Jesse Lingard’s curled opener here reprised that glorious Russian afternoon at the Nizhny Stadium when he put England three to the good against Panama with one of the goals of the tournament. The World Cup experience radically altered the mood around the English national team, subsequently augmented by the victory against Spain in Seville.

We have not felt this good about England since an 18-year-old Rooney lit up Euro 2004 with his bull-necked, man-boy brio. Rooney was a victim of circumstance, coming along in a period when the national team had lost its allure and club football was in the ascendency. The Champions League had become the ultimate stage for the professional footballer, the platform of greatest substance. Rooney’s fate was to see the golden generation out and Southgate’s babes in at a moment of unforseen transformation.

Magic

The magic here was in the feet of young Jadon Sancho, who in his first start for England made you wonder, just like Rooney all those years ago, if a kid with feet like his really could be English. Sancho was the out ball for England throughout and responsible for the neat assist that teed up Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Carlos Alberto impression. Ask pops who he was, or grandad. Clue: scored a half decent goal in a World Cup final.

There was warm applause from the crowd when the boards called Rooney forth. Such was the lack of tension in the event it perhaps seems churlish to carp. The players joined the fans in getting behind the initiative and, of course, the Rooney Foundation will benefit from the pageant. But then he didn’t need to take part to achieve that.

Since he was on the pitch a goal would have iced his cake. He went close in the final minutes jinking this way and that in the box before drawing a fine save from the keeper. An outstretched leg moments later failed only narrowly to connect. There were touching scenes at the end as the players took it in turn to shake his hand and a clap-out of sorts as Rooney traced a circle in the centre of the pitch acknowledging all sides of the stadium.

All of this might have been facilitated without awarding him half an hour in the no.10 shirt. Sorry, there I go, carping again.