Wayne Rooney has declared Roy Hodgson's tenure as England manager his favorite period playing for the national team. The former Manchester United striker, speaking to BBC Sport, highlighted the 2016 Euro campaign as a pivotal moment where the squad's potential was evident. Hodgson, a veteran manager with a 50-year career spanning Halmstad, Switzerland, Inter Milan, and Liverpool, resigned after England's shock 2-1 loss to Iceland in the last 16, a defeat Rooney described as 'a really bad moment.' 'I think the team in 2016 had the potential to do what the England team is doing now because there was a lot of young players coming through,' Rooney stated.

He recalled the profound disappointment felt in the dressing room, stating it was 'the worst I've ever felt,' and hinted at his own potential retirement thoughts following the defeat.