The thing is that 'World Class' is such a loose definition.
Because you could say that any national team is world class by virtue of existing as a national team in the first place. Iran are world class, Japan are world class, any team who didn't qualify are world class.

But World Cup Class is almost a level above that as the standard of quality goes up a notch.

I think Rooney is a great player who just didn't hit the heights internationally for whatever reason. The guy's won the Champs League, FIFA World Club Championship and a load of other trophies with United so clearly has something about him.

He should have left to play in Spain years ago that would have improved him IMO and taken him to the level everyone expected from him.

Thought Rooney was our best player against Uruguay. Don't blame him for the defeat against Italy either as he was playing on the left. Blame has to go with midfield and defence which I thought were shaky and disappointing. I also think the exclusion of Terry and Cole was a mistake - I'm all for a young team but we also need a few experienced players in the side aswell, Terry was sorely missed in defence and Cole would have made a better left side than Baines imo.

Rooney not to blame. He was Englands best player over the 2 games.

Sorry but Cahill was far and away our best player last night,

If not for him, we'd have been hammered.

Rooney has had a tap in and one (albeit very good) assist.

His fitness has been poor, his awareness has been poor, his touch has been poor, his speed has been non existent, his strength has been non-existent.

Sorry, but I must be watching a totally different player.

Why is everyone so blinkered, when it comes to Rooney, no he just can't or won't play well for England, why everyone treat's him like some sort of brilliant player is beyond me. How many World cup games played, how many goals?

Cahill was ok in defence, our best player in defence but he wasn't great - he made a huge mistake that led to the second goal by not picking up Saurez. Both him and Jagielka went to sleep. In fact the defence was at fault for all 4 goals England let it. Rooney was our only player last night that looked like he would score.... and he did

Never looked like he was going to score, not even for his goal!

I wouldn't bat an eyelid if he called time on his England career tomorrow, and I am a United fan.

Its odd how fans can watch the same game and have two completely different opinions.

I saw a poor performance by rooney, who missed easy chances (hitting the bar or straight at the keeper is not hitting the target in my book) until he got a tap in my grandmother could have scored. And she is dead.

In moaning that he wanted to play up front, he made sure our best player in that position, sturridge, was complete ineffectual. Sturridge moved from chelsea because he didnt want to/ could not play wide on the wing and has gone on to be the best english striker in the country bar none!

I find it difficult to blame the defense outfield players. It must be awful for the two centre back to play with:

1) A flapping, error prone keeper
2) Baines out of form and unprotected by his winger
3) Glen johnson
4) Gerrard as the defensive midfielder

Its asking for trouble. Even terry and rio in their prime would struggle with that lot around them, let alone facing suarez.

When did Rooney moan about playing up front - I never heard a thing, what crap rag did you read that in.

Ive heard plenty of people complaining about Rooney not playing in his favoured position, but not once have I heard Rooney come out and say anything of the sort.

Get it right please, and stop being so anti Rooney as usual its shining through you, you wouldn't be quite so critical of him if Chelsea had signed him last season, you were all for it.

So you're saying England are built around Rooney, yet he was shifted out wide against Italy? Marvellous. I for one hope you never post about England again.

Good to see the blinkered MU fan's defending him, But I want England to do well, and that will only start when Rooney has gone and we can build a team around the talented younger player's

Until we play our players in their best position, and if there is a better option, ego players like Rooney are dropped, we will get nowhere.

I'm still shocked. Sturridge out on the wing. Madness, complete madness.

Roy should be sacked for that alone.

England has no talented younger players.

Out of the 2 games we played worse when Rooney played in his preffered position.

World Class players are Ronaldo, Messi, Suarez, Neymar, Pirlo, Benzema etc. We havent got any players of that quality.

Rooney, Jagielka, Baines, Johnson, Gerrard, Henderson, Wellbeck. Drop 'em all.

The longer we go on pretending that we have World Class players and the longer we go on ignoring the fact that our tactics are light years behind some of the 'smaller' nations, the worse the problem will become and the farther behind we will fall.

Really drop them all, then who do you plan to bring in to replace them. that's seven players you know, who are you going to replace them all with then.

Nope, but you could see how you'd come to such a simplistic conclusion.

This is how I would define a world class player:

If that player could magically change his nationality to anywhere, every country in the world would want to play him in their national team.

Rooney is a terrific player, maybe he isn't in the same league as messi or ronaldo or iniesta, then who is? The English Media are the cause of his performance for his national team, too much pressure to deliver instantly isn't healthy for a player.

It depends on how you define world class.

One thing that cannot be denied is that, restored to his rightful position, he was England's best player the other night & you can't ask for more than that.

And still everyone in today's paper's are saying he our main hope... Ugggg, Why!

Exactly so.

I'd agree with that. A player who could walk into the first team of any club or country. I'd say only Messi, Ronaldo, Suarez and probably Lahm and Y. Toure could do that for sure. Neymar and Bale should achieve that status soon.

Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley, Raheem Sterling, Henderson, Sturridge (24 is youngish) and Oxlade-Chamberlain are just a few of our talented younger players (there are more). Welbeck's not actually too bad for England, either, when played a way that's effective for him.

He may have played better when he was put into his normal position, but the team played worse than when he wasn't when they played Italy.

I would love for Rooney to tell them to shove playing for England, who needs all this abuse he gets.

The next tournament around he could concentrate his efforts elsewhere, and let someone else get beaten with a stick instead.

Its really not worth the hassle.