Wayne Rooney will wear the captain’s armband when England lines up to face San Marino at Wembley later today. The Manchester United striker is deputizing in the absence ofSteven Gerrard, the regular captain who misses the match through suspension, and Frank Lampard, who has been ruled out with a knee problem.
Rooney has hadhis share of controversies in an England shirt, but the 26-year-old insists he is a changed man since his sending off in a Euro 2012 qualifier with Montenegro last year. “What happened inMontenegro was stupid,” he said during a press conference. “I regretted it as soon as I’d done it. It won’t be happening again, I can promise.”
Reporters then pointed to anotherinfamous incident at the 2010 World Cup, when Rooney unleashed a foul-mouthed tirade at a TV camera following England’s 0-0 draw with Algeria in Cape Town. “The thing against Algeria waspartly to do with looking for a way to justify my own performance. Since then, I’ve matured more as a player and a person.” Rooney said he aims to lead in the style of former Manchester Unitedskipper Roy Keane.