Wayne Rooney has not done enough at the big tournaments to be described as a world-class player, but he may yet have one more left in him. If he has a fantastic season, scores 20 goals and helps Everton to win a trophy or finish in the top four, it would be foolish of Gareth Southgate not to ask the question before next summer’s World Cup finals.

An international manager should never close the door on anybody. If Rooney has a resurgence and is the main man at Everton over the next nine months, there will be pressure on Southgate to persuade him to come out of international retirement. It’s all about the tournament then and his experience, good and bad, could be useful to