Rooney to wear number ten shirt and captain\'s armband as Southgate promises fitting send-off

SHOWS: BURTON-UPON-TRENT, ENGLAND, UK (NOVEMBER 14, 2018) (BBC - NO USE UK) 1.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND MANAGER, GARETH SOUTHGATE, TALKING ABOUT WAYNE ROONEY, SAYING: "The players are very keen that Wayne wears the number 10.

We believe that is a fitting tribute.

We've spoken a lot as a group about doing things our own way over the last two years." 2.

WHITE FLASH 3.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND MANAGER, GARETH SOUTHGATE, TALKING ABOUT WAYNE ROONEY, SAYING: "All of our group have huge respect for Wayne and they feel that it's fitting that his last game should be the number 10 and that when he puts that shirt on his wall somewhere at the end of his career that it's been a special night and the 10 is the number that he has there." 4.

WHITE FLASH 5.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND MANAGER, GARETH SOUTHGATE, TALKING ABOUT WAYNE ROONEY, SAYING: "I don't want to pin an exact time on because you don't know how the exact flow of the game is going to go, but we'll give him enough that I think is fitting.

He's going to fit into the team no problem, I can see in training that it's not going to change the quality of what we're doing, but also we want to make sure that we get that balance of some younger players that we're going to look at, giving them the right amount of time and making sure that our preparation for Sunday (versus Croatia) with things we want to do as well is also another priority.

But I have to say it's very important to all of us as a group that he gets the right sort of send-off." 6.

WHITE FLASH 7.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND MIDFIELDER, FABIAN DELPH (CAPTAIN FOR MATCH VS USA), TALKING ABOUT GIVING WAYNE ROONEY THE CAPTAIN'S ARMBAND WHEN HE COMES ON, SAYING: "I probably won't get the armband again so probably not, no, I'll probably keep hold of it.

No I mean when I first came into the England set up, Wayne was captain, he welcomed me, he put his arm round me and made me feel at home.

As soon as he comes on tomorrow I'll be giving him that armband back." STORY: Wayne Rooney will wear the number 10 shirt and captain's armband when he comes on for his final England appearance in Thursday's friendly with the United States, manager Gareth Southgate said.

"The players are very keen that Wayne wears the number 10 and we believe that is a fitting tribute," Southgate told a news conference on Wednesday (November 14).

Rooney, who now plays in Major League Soccer for D.C United, will start on the bench before entering the field for his 120th and final cap in the international at Wembley Stadium.

Southgate did not want to fix a time in the game when Rooney would come on but said he had discussed it with the 33-year-old.

England face Croatia in a Nations League match on Sunday.