Former England captain Wayne Rooney has criticised England manager Thomas Tuchel for leaving Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the national team squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup, describing the decision as “mind-boggling.”
Alexander-Arnold has been absent from Tuchel’s last four England squads despite returning to regular action for Real Madrid� after recovering from a thigh injury earlier this year.
Speaking on the Wayne Rooney Podcast on Thursday, Rooney questioned why Ben White was selected ahead of the former Liverpool defender.
“No disrespect to Ben White, I think he’s a fantastic player, but for him to be in the squad and playing ahead of Trent is mind-boggling,” Rooney said.
England named Tino Livramento, Djed Spence and Ezri Konsa among their defensive options for the final home friendlies before the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Rooney admitted that if fully fit, he would still choose Reece James as England’s first-choice right-back, although he raised concerns about the defender’s consistency.
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“Reece James isn’t the most defensive,” Rooney said. “In terms of the lads who are there, you wouldn’t say they’re the best defensively anyway.”
Former England defender Phil Jagielka also backed Alexander-Arnold to make the World Cup squad.
“I think he probably still makes it,” Jagielka said. “You need your best players. If he proves he can play half as well as he played for most of his time at Liverpool, he’s definitely worth taking on the plane.”
The conversation also touched on England’s left-back options, with Nico O'Reilly and Lewis Hall both competing for a starting role.
Jagielka praised O’Reilly’s attacking ability but admitted the youngster still has defensive weaknesses.
“I really enjoy watching O’Reilly, but he gets caught out defensively,” Jagielka said. “I’d go with O’Reilly at this moment, but there’s really not much between him and Lewis Hall.”
Rooney, however, said experience would still matter in major tournaments, insisting he would trust Luke Shaw in big games.
“We don’t need our full-backs to be the most attacking; we need them to defend,” Rooney said. “Keep the balance and let the attacking players win you the games.”
