Wayne Rooney is still our leader, says Jordan Henderson

Jordan Henderson has hailed Wayne Rooney as he prepares to inherit the captain's armband for England's World Cup qualifier against Slovenia.

The Liverpool midfielder was named as captain ahead of the match after Gareth Southgate revealed that Rooney would not start.

“Wayne is very experienced and, for me, he has been one of the best players in the world for many years," said Henderson. 

"He sets an example to all of us on and off the field. He is someone we all look up to as a captain and a leader for his experience and the type of person that he is.

"He is massive for this team and just because he is not playing [against Slovenia], it won’t change anything. I am sure people will make a big deal of him not starting but, in football, teams change tactically for different opposition and for different reasons.

"This doesn’t change anything for us as a team in terms of Wayne not starting. He is our captain, he leads by example and he’ll be ready to come on and make an impact when given the opportunity."