Wayne Rooney: Manchester United star learned to play midfield role from Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes

England captain Wayne Rooney says he studied the games of Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard to adapt to his new midfield role.

The Manchester United skipper has shined as a midfield orchestrator for his national team at Euro 2016, reprising a role he played for the Red Devils at times last season.

With 52 goals in 113 appearances Rooney is England's all-time record goal-scorer, but with Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Daniel Sturridge and Marcus Rashford all included in Roy Hodgson's squad, the 30-year-old has had to settle for a deeper role in the team.

Speaking ahead of England's goalless draw with Slovakia in Saint-Etienne on 20 June, the United player said he enjoyed seeing more of the ball as a midfielder.

"It was always going to happen. I think I said it when I was about 24 that one day I would go back into midfield and that has happened over the last couple of months," he was quoted as saying by ESPN.

"I have played with some of the best midfielders England has produced in Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes and I'm not so naive to play with those players and not notice what they were doing, knowing that one day I would be playing in that position.

"I have watched them when playing with them and training with them and I have tried to take bits from each of them and add my own way of playing.''

He added: "I am enjoying my role at the minute. I think you are involved in the game more. As a striker most of the time you have your back to goal, but in midfield you are mostly facing the goal.

"It's a different role, a different position and different discipline you have to have in your game.''

Rooney was dropped from the starting XI as Hodgson made six changes in the Slovakia match, with the goalless result at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard meaning England finished second in Group B behind Wales.