Mason Mount started on the bench for both of England’s knockout games (Getty)

Wayne Rooney believes Gareth Southgate’s decision to drop Mason Mount after the World Cup group stage was a positive for England.

The Chelsea midfielder started England’s first two group games against Iran and the United States but was left on the bench for the 3-0 win over Wales which ensured Southgate’s side finished top of Group B.

Mount was in contention to regain his place for the knockout stage but the 23-year-old started as a substitute against both Senegal and France.

And Rooney feels England were an improved side with Mount out of the team and says Jordan Henderson was able to give ‘more freedom’ to his teammates.

‘To me, watching on, it felt a huge step in the right direction. England dealt with the pressure of being in a quarter-final against a team of France’s quality and were very unlucky not to get through,’ Rooney wrote in his column for The Times.

Wayne Rooney says Jordan Henderson gave his England teammates ‘more freedom’ (The FA via Getty)

‘I listened to some of Gareth’s interviews afterwards and he was spot on when he said that England can now mix it with the biggest boys of international football. They can.

‘That is why, for me, Gareth should stay on – until Euro 2024 at the least. The players respect him, the squad is in a great frame of mind and the team is getting better on the pitch and those Euros in Germany are a great opportunity.

‘Throughout the tournament we saw England play good, positive football but also with a level of control. There was the right balance to their work and Gareth made good decisions about selection and tactics, seeing things that perhaps the fans don’t see sometimes.

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‘If you said to supporters that you were going to take Mason Mount out of a starting XI and put Jordan Henderson in, most would think it a negative decision – whereas, actually, it might allow other players more freedom.

‘Thanks to tweaks like that, the team improved, and the 4-3-3 helped produce attractive, attacking football.

‘Young talents – Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford – had great tournaments and, in my opinion, 2022 was Harry Kane’s best tournament as well.’

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Rooney has also called on Gareth Southgate to stay on as England manager.