England 1-0 Portugal: Wayne Rooney's position questioned after drab Euro 2016 warm-up win

Calls for Roy Hodgson to reassess captain Wayne Rooney's role in the England team have grown after an unconvincing Euro 2016 warm-up win against Portugal. Chris Smalling scored a late header as England eked out a 1-0 win in a game of few chances at Wembley on 2 June.

Rooney started alongside strikers Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane for the first time in an attack-minded line-up, but the trio had little influence on proceedings before Smalling's late intervention.

"There are many square pegs in round roles. I am not sure what system Roy is playing," former England defender Danny Mills told BBC Sport.

"There were three centre-forwards on the pitch going for the same ball, in the same space. I don't get it. You are taking away from all those players all their strengths."

'Rooney should play deeper'

Hodgson defended his use of Rooney at the top of a midfield diamond after the Portugal match, even though the tactic forced Kane and Vardy to spread out to the flanks to receive the ball.

Kane and Vardy scored 49 league goals between them last season, while Manchester United's Rooney only managed to score eight times in 28 Premier League appearances.

Mills said: "Rooney is taking away from Kane's position and [Dele] Alli's position. There is a place for Rooney in this side, but it's not in the position he's in at the moment. You have to play Kane up front as the number nine, Alli in the 10 role and if Rooney has to play deeper or wide, he's good enough to play that role."

Hodgson refuted suggestions that the performance against Portugal was below par and defended his tactic of using Kane and Vardy as wide forwards.

"When you play that system you need your strikers to split," he explained. "If you play them down the middle and Rooney in behind them you'll never be able to defend the wide areas."

England get their Euro 2016 campaign underway with a Group B encounter against Russia in Marseille on 12 June.