Terry admits concerns over Rooney’s temperament

Terry says he was "nervous" about Rooney during England friendly (Photo: Paul Blank)

John Terry admitted he was worried about Wayne Rooney’s temperament during England’s final World Cup warm-up game.

The former England captain said he was concerned when Rooney was shown a yellow card for dissent by referee Jeff Selogilwe, who accused the Manchester United forward of using foul and abusive language during the national team’s match against Platinum Stars on Monday.

“I was a little bit nervous myself when Wayne gave the ball away and went into the tackle, but I think that will have pleased the manager after the way we played in the first half,” Terry said.

Despite admitting his concerns Terry also stated he feels the former Everton protege has matured with age.

“We have seen in the last two or three years that Wayne has grown up a lot,” added Terry.

Reports also suggest that Fabio Capello has talked to Rooney about his temper in a bid to avoid a repeat of his sending off during the 2006 World Cup quarter-final against Portugal in Gelsenkirchen.

Meanwhile the England boss is still undecided over who will be starting in goal for England in their opening fixture against the USA, with all three goalkeepers in the squad still in contention.

Capello has stated that he may not make his selection until Friday but it is believed that Robert Green and Joe Hart are the favourites due to David James’ injury problems over the course of the past week.