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Roy Hodgson has backed Wayne Rooney to perform at his best for England

Image: Wayne Rooney: Backed by Hodgson to perform at his best for England

England manager Roy Hodgson is confident Wayne Rooney can emulate talismanic Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic by performing at his top level for his country.

Talents

The problem is how to maximise his talents. At various times for United, he has been used as a lone forward, just behind a main striker and wide on the left. Just recently, he has been operating in a deep role just in front of the Red Devils' midfield. The difference is that Sir Alex Ferguson has other alternatives to choose from. Robin van Persie could hardly be described as a sub-standard option and Javier Hernandez's recent goalscoring run already has him pencilled in for a start at Norwich on Saturday. As Hodgson is painfully aware, he simply does not have the same strength in depth. "You don't have to do anything specific to get the best out of Wayne," said Hodgson. "We know the ability he has and his commitment to the cause. "Alex Ferguson has done it very well down the years but, of course, there's a lot of pressure and if he doesn't have a good game a lot of questions are asked of him. "That's the responsibility he bears."

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