Shearer: Rooney should retire from international football

Shearer - who scored 30 goals in 63 games for England - believes that the burden of captaining England and Manchester United at the age of 30 is simply too much for the forward to deal with.

The former Newcastle striker thinks that the current Manchester United side is only getting better and better, and that Rooney must give up international football in order to keep up with the rest of the squad.

Writing in his column in the 'Sun', Shearer said: "This is a Manchester United squad of real depth and power and Rooney needs to be producing at the highest level to make sure he stays in it.

"It is time for Rooney to be selfish and start thinking just about himself.

"And that, I really regret to say, means his retirement from international football.

"I don't say this in the belief that he is no longer good enough for England - he is.

"But he is 30 now and captaining your club and country, satisfying the demand to play at the top level for both, gets harder".

The Premier League's record goal scorer also thinks that Rooney should have "no shame" if he is to retire from international football.

"Rooney can feel no shame if he takes the decision. He has been selfless in his approach to England, often playing through injury to make sure he represents his country".

Rooney has been named in Sam Allardyce's first England squad, but the Three Lions' boss has not confirmed whether Rooney will retain the captaincy and is expected to confirm his skipper tomorrow.