Wayne Rooney has taken aim at the state of the modern game, claiming current tactical preferences have seen a decline in traditional strikers over recent years.
Regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation, Rooney himself helped usher in a new era of forward capable of more than just finishing chances and holding up the ball, with his immense power and passing range making him the perfect utility man for whoever he was paired up front with during his years at Goodison Park, Old Trafford and on the international stage with England.
This is summarised perfectly by Rooney's goal involvement record, sitting in the top five for both goal and assist tallies in the all-time Premier League rankings.
VIDEO: Euro 2024: EVERYTHING You Need To Know!
Wayne Rooney's fear for forwards
Speaking on The Overlap in association with Sky Bet, Rooney took aim at the current culture of playing out from the back which has become second nature to most sides in Europe's top divisions in the last decade.
“There are no centre-forwards out there," he told a live audience ahead of the start of Euro 2024.
"If you look around world football, you look at Harry Kane and [Erling] Haaland. Even just in the Premier League, you’ve got [Ollie] Watkins after them – there are no forwards.
"That’s where the game has changed, everyone is trying to play out from the back," he added.
"I go and watch my kids play under 8s football and they play two centre-backs by the goalkeeper, playing out from the back and concede a goal. They try it again and concede another goal.
"Yes, you need to develop, but ultimately, they need to develop how to win and manage a game – the centre-forwards are getting forgotten about and not getting the ball.
"The game has changed a lot where there are not many number nine’s out there at all.”
More stories
We have a guide on how to get Euro 2024 tickets if you're still looking to go to the tournament. We have the run-down on Euro 2024 stadiums, with info on host cities, capacities, and everything you need to know.
We have a list of the Euro 2024 favourites, with best odds on nations to win European Championship in Germany, while these are the best Euros games ever and these are the best pundits ever. With England set to be one of the favourites, meanwhile, we've analysed what the pathway to the final could look like for the Three Lions.
Get a free live stream to watch Euro 2024 from anywhere in the world ahead of the summer's big tournament
