In September Wesley Sneijder sat on a sofa in the centre circle of the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, after making what he had decided would be his final international appearance, against Peru, and was joined by his wife and children to watch highlights of his career. Heart-warming as the moment was, the fact that a 34-year-old who plays for Al-Gharafa, the sixth-best team in Qatar, was able to dictate the terms of his departure was perhaps another indication of a Netherlands team in long-term decline, and of a nation happier to look backwards than forwards. International football rarely has room for sentiment and England have certainly never allowed even their greatest players to tie up their careers with a ribbon and a bow.
Related: Wayne Rooney to return to England squad for friendly match against USA
Written by Simon Burnton
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/nov/05/wayne-rooney-england-recall-fa-usa-friendly under the title “Wayne Rooney’s England recall is a fudge the FA has got wrong | Simon Burnton”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
