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Rooney might lose England captaincy

London - Interim England manager Gareth Southgate may consider stripping Wayne Rooney of his captaincy following a highly-publicised night out.

Rooney was photographed looking worse for wear in the early hours of the morning following a wedding reception on Saturday night.

England had beaten Scotland in a World Cup qualifier 24 hours earlier.

Southgate had ordered the captain and members of the backroom staff to head to bed, but after leaving, Rooney reappeared at the reception.

The Sun has said that although the Manchester United player apologised to Southgate, there are reported plans to replace him as skipper.

A statement from Rooney’s management company said: "Naturally Wayne is sorry that pictures taken with fans have been published.

"Although it was a day off for the whole squad and staff, he fully recognises that the images are inappropriate for someone in his position.

"Earlier today Wayne spoke privately to both Gareth Southgate and [Football Association technical director] Dan Ashworth to unreservedly apologise."

Rooney has said he will retire after the World Cup in Russia in 2018 and would face an uncertain time on the international stage until then if he lost the England captaincy.

The FA is investigating the weekend's events, with other England players reported to have visited nightclubs.

Former United captain Gary Neville has come out in defence of Rooney saying that he shouldn't have apologised.

Rooney could also find himself left out of the starting XI to face Arsenal at Old Trafford on Saturday even though Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to miss the game through suspension.

Kick off is at 14:30.

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