Danny Welbeck: Wayne Rooney says England international Thomas Tuchel should consider recalling the Brighton striker

Welbeck will be 35 years old by the start of the 2026 World Cup finals next June, and Rooney said that he could play an important role with the England national team on and off the field.

“I’m not saying he’s going to go and accept being on the bench, but Ollie Watkins and players like that who are trying to get into the team, are still young enough and want to put pressure on Kane for that starting position.

“A bit like Jordan Henderson, he uses his experience with the players. He’s very popular with his team-mates wherever he is, but he also has the ability to go on and make an impact.”

Having already qualified for next summer’s tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada with two matches remaining, Rooney believes that England captain Harry Kane should be excluded from Tuchel’s next squad to allow the German to experiment with players such as Welbeck.

“If you are Tuchel, you should definitely look at him and I hope he does,” Rooney said. “For England’s next two games, I won’t even call up Kane. Give him a rest.

“There’s not a lot of opportunities between now and the end of the season when he gets rested. Let him rest and go and look at Welbeck or Watkins or Ivan Toney. Whoever he wants to look at, give those players the chance to try and play.”

Rooney is six years older than Houellebecq, but they became good friends when they played together, and Rooney said his highlight was when Houellebecq’s mother would cook for him every week.

When asked about Welbeck’s style of play, Rooney said, “He was wonderful and a beautiful person. When he played, he pressed hard, was aggressive, was quick to reach the ball, really intelligent, had good feet, and scored goals.”

He added: “The best thing about Daniel is that his mother would bring me chicken and rice every Thursday.” “It was very nice. I always looked forward to that.”

Welbeck has scored six goals in his last five Premier League appearances for Brighton, and has now scored in 17 different Premier League seasons.

“All the former United players are in a WhatsApp group, so we’re all talking,” Rooney said when asked if he was in contact with Welbeck.

“He was on fire. When someone does a good job, we all root for them and support them.”

He added: “I am happy for him because he suffered injuries throughout his career that hindered him, but he seems to be able to maintain his fitness now and showed his ability and what he can do.”