Roy Hodgson: England players should copy Man Utd lion-heart Wayne Rooney

ROY HODGSON yesterday revealed he wants all his England players to be as fired up as Wayne Rooney.

LEADER OF THE PACK: Wayne Rooney will be instrumental to any England success at next year's World Cup [GETTY]

The Manchester United star has been back to his passionate best on the pitch this season but came close to earning a red card nine days ago when he kicked out at Cardiff’s Jordon Mutch.

United boss David Moyes said he was ­desperate for Rooney to keep the “fire in his belly”.

The Scot added: “He plays better when he’s tough and aggressive.

“I want him aggressive, challenging and full of running.”

Looking ahead to the World Cup draw in Brazil on Friday, Hodgson said that the sort of all-out ­commitment Rooney has been showing was needed if the Three Lions were to have any chance of glory.

“I think all the players need that devil in them,” said the England boss.

“The thing about being a professional footballer, ­especially when you are talking about top ­Premier League level, is you have to accept that you need that devil in you, that fight in you, every week.

“It is unfortunate, because there will be days when you don’t feel like it.

“But the whole point about being a top player is, whether you feel like it or not, you go out and do it.”

UP FOR IT: Hodgson believes Rooney's bold and honest approach to the game should be followed by other England players [GETTY]

“The whole point about being a top player is, whether you feel like it or not, you go out and do it”

Roy Hodgson

Hodgson was at White Hart Lane on Sunday to see Rooney score twice as the champions drew 2-2 with Tottenham.
It took the striker’s goal tally for the season to 12, including two for the Three Lions.
Rooney’s quick temper has got him into big ­trouble in the past, most notably when he was sent off for lashing out ­at Montenegro’s ­Miodrag Dzudovic in a Euro 2012 qualifier, ­missing the opening two games at the tournament as a ­result.
“I have got to say that ­ it is part of the game,” added Hodgson.
“I have got to judge Wayne in the last 19 months, since I first met him and worked with him.
“Since I have been here, he has hardly got a yellow card, really.

“He is very keen to play for England, he is as ­disciplined as he can be, but, like all players, I am afraid there will probably come a time (when he ­loses his cool).
“I’m very fortunate in that we’ve got senior ­players, of which he’s one, who do have a big ­influence.
“Their thoughts on things and the way they approach things does have an influence on the group, so a Wayne ­Rooney in this sort of form would be very good.
“He was no problem at all in the Euros. Our ­problem in the Euros was that unfortunately he had been suspended and when he came to us, he was ­training when the rest of them were playing matches.

JUST GETTING STARTED: Rooney will be looking to carry his fine form all the way to Brazil [AFP/GETTY]

“He was desperate to play. Unfortunately, when we did throw him in, you would say that he didn’t live up to his reputation.
“And that was understandable when he missed the first two games and came back from ­injury. True, he is playing lots of games this season, but there is ­nothing I can do about it.
“The fact is, if you said to me, you can name 16 players and of these 16, you can tailor their ­playing and what they do, I would be delighted. But I can’t.

“With all of those things that are totally out of my control, I have just got to hope for the best.
“What we will do as staff is be very careful that we don’t push them too hard, we will monitor the ­training sessions, we will monitor the amount of work they are doing.
“We might force Wayne to have an extra day’s rest, though he probably wouldn’t thank you for it!”