After 14 years as an England international, Wayne Rooney has today announced his intention to retire from international football. He held talks with current manager Gareth Southgate, after a resurgence in form following his move to Everton, put him back in contention for a place for the World Cup qualifiers.

England's greatest ever goalscorer

Rooney broke into the full England team at the age of just 18, two years after his debut for Everton. His first game was against Australia in February 2003 and England lost 3-1. Since that game Rooney has gone on to become England's top goalscorer, with 53, beating Sir Bobby Charlton's long-standing record of 49 with a penalty against Switzerland in September 2015.

He has become England's most capped outfield player of all time with 119 caps and is second only to goalkeeper Peter Shilton on 125.

His first England goal came against Macedonia in September of the same year and led to him becoming an automatic choice for the side that entered Euro 2004.

Rooney's decision to retire

Wayne Rooney's last game for England was as captain against Scotland in the 3-0 World Cup Qualifier in November 2016. It became clear though, that he was not likely to figure in Gareth Southgate's plans as he was left out of further qualifiers after suffering a dip in form at his then club Manchester United. Manager Jose Mourinho failed to give Rooney first team action and as a result, the star had little option but to leave United and return to his boyhood team, Everton.

However, since rejoining Everton, he has proved what a great talent he is and has scored twice in Everton's first two games of the season.

It was undoubtedly this return to form that caused the England manager to reconsider Rooney for the forthcoming games against Malta and Slovakia but Rooney announced that he wants to focus all his energies on Everton.

International regrets

Despite representing his country in three World Cups and two European Championships, Rooney said in an online statement that one of his few regrets was that he was " not part of a successful England tournament side." Nevertheless, his legacy will surely last for some years to come. He gave his all for every manager he played under and at times played with an injury.

It was plain for all to see that he felt the pain of the team underperforming as much as the fans. He criticised "loyal fans" who booed the team after a dismal draw against Algeria in the 2010 World Cup.

Rooney's Legacy

Since bursting onto the scene as a 16-year-old it was always clear that Rooney would be a special player. He is now Manchester United's all-time top scorer, as well as England's, he scored spectacular goals, he was passionate and loved by fans and fellow players alike. And even though his international career may be over, there are still plenty of headlines for Wayne Rooney to write.