Wayne Rooney has given a stark verdict on Jack Grealish’s diminishing hopes of making England’s World Cup squad, suggesting the winger should “book his holiday” rather than expect a late recall from Thomas Tuchel.
Grealish was once again left out of the England manager’s plans for Thursday night’s 2-0 victory over Serbia at Wembley, a win that preserved England’s flawless qualifying campaign.
Even when Anthony Gordon withdrew through injury, Tuchel elected not to turn to the in-form Everton loanee, who has not worn the Three Lions shirt since the German coach replaced Gareth Southgate.
The 30-year-old has impressed during his loan spell on Merseyside, registering five Premier League goal contributions and recapturing flashes of the creativity and drive that once made him a regular under Southgate.
But the upturn has done nothing to shift Tuchel’s stance, and with only one international window remaining before next summer’s squad is announced, Grealish appears to be running out of time.
Rooney, speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, did not hold back.
“Jack Grealish may as well book his holiday for the summer now because he’s not getting in the squad,” he said. “You think Andy Gordon dropped out and he still doesn’t get called into it, so I think Thomas Tuchel is quite set.”
Five things to know about Wayne Rooney
|GETTY
Wayne Rooney has given a stark verdict on Jack Grealish’s diminishing hopes of making England’s World Cup squad, suggesting the winger should “book his holiday” rather than expect a late recall from Thomas Tuchel
|BBC
Rooney also criticised the decision to start Harry Kane against Serbia, arguing the match offered a valuable chance to experiment rather than leaning on the captain again when qualification was already secure.
“I think this international break was the perfect opportunity just to say to Harry Kane, ‘Go and have a week’s holiday’. He doesn’t need to be there,” Rooney added.
“He’d want to be there but you need to take that option away from him and then it’s an opportunity for Thomas Tuchel to look at players and see what they can do.”
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Jack Grealish has shown flashes of his best form for Everton this season
|PA
Kane was substituted in the second half, with Phil Foden moving centrally - a switch that quickly paid dividends.
The Manchester City star looked comfortable operating as a false nine and created Eberechi Eze’s late goal, giving Tuchel yet another tactical option heading into 2025.
Afterwards, the England boss made clear he is open to using Foden in the No 9 role if the situation requires it.
“If Phil stays in his shape and form, I have no problem [playing him as a No 9],” Tuchel said.
“I have some other options in mind that I do not want to discuss in public. Don’t forget we have Ollie Watkins and [Danny] Welbeck, [who are maybe] more No 9s, also different options to Harry.
“We have many options but it will maybe be about who is in shape, what we have in the squad and how we share the minutes, who we play and what we expect from the match.”
Jack Grealish has 39 caps for England
|PA
For Grealish, the outlook remains bleak.
He has 39 caps but has not featured since October 2024, when interim boss Lee Carsley briefly brought him back into the fold after Southgate omitted him from the Euro 2024 squad.
With Tuchel showing no inclination to revisit that decision, the former Aston Villa star now looks to be on the outside looking in as England edge towards next year’s World Cup in North America.
Unless Tuchel changes course in the final international break before the tournament, Rooney may just be proven right.