I don't he'd do it to get at Southgate. More likely he's enjoying being back at Everton and doesn't want the hassle of being a fringe England player with the constant speculation about if he'll play or not.
Ronaldo played well and won Euro 16, didn't he?
Not Rooney's fault? Wasn't he concentrating on whores instead of the job in hand at one World Cup?
I applaud his achievements, Top goal-scorer for England, Man Utd but didn't do it when it really mattered in Tournaments for England apart from 2004.
With all due respect to Greaves and I don't wish to diminish his achievements but he scored 1 goal in major tournaments and the rest were mostly against very poor opposition. Not saying Greaves was poor but how is that any better than Rooney's goals record? His hatricks were against Northern Ireland, Peru, Scotland, Norway and Luxembourg. Those sides (excluding Luxembourg) were a great deal poorer then than they are now.
Rooney - scored in 38 games
Macedonia 1
Liechtenstein 1
Denmark 2
Iceland 3
Switzerland 4
Croatia 4
Argentina 1
Netherlands 1
Estonia 2
Russia 1
Kazakhstan 3
Andorra 2
Bulgaria 2
Belarus 2
Slovakia 2
Ukraine 1
San Marino 5
Poland 2
Brazil 2
Montenegro 2
Equador 1
Uruguay 1
Norway 1
Lithuania 1
Slovenia 2
Scotland 2
France 1
Australia 1
Greaves - scored in 27 games
Peru 4
Wales 5
Yugoslavia 2
Northern Ireland 10
Luxembourg 3
Spain 2
Scotland 4
Italy 1
Austria 1
Argentina 1
Czechoslovakia 2
Rest of the World 1
Republic of Ireland 1
Brazil 1
Netherlands 1
Hungary 1
Norway 4
Anyone that saw both Greaves and Rooney play could see Greaves was a superior goal-scorer to Rooney.
However you compare the goals, you can only score when you play and only against whom you are playing.
Greaves was an elite striker in the mould of Gerd Muller or Romario.
Rooney was an exceptional player who unfortunately peaked very early and overstayed his welcome by a few years. But he was never a goal-poacher in the class of Greaves.
So are you suggesting petulance got the better of him & vindictive revenge won over the love to pull on his shirt for his counrty?
I can't honestly believe that.
More likely he recognises that just like at Man Utd - his opportunities to play regularly, & as captain of the national side were going to be ever decreasing
He didn't retire when left out but then when called back up retires I hope he has done it to dig at this hopeless yes man the blazers at the fa have appointed
I don't see anything wrong with it. In any form of work a person can retire whenever they see fit.
There are many reasons for retiring from international football but continuing to play for a club.
The working (and earning) life of a footballer is limited to around 15 years.
Players should be allowed to extend their playing career by playing only for their club, who after all are the ones who pay their salary.
Maybe he has the same feeling towards international football as me and can't be bothered with England against Outer Mongolia or whoever they are playing