Rooney backs Danny Welbeck for England Premier League call-up

Wayne Rooney believes Thomas Tuchel should consider recalling Brighton striker Danny Welbeck to the England squad after his impressive England Premier League form. The 34-year-old has scored six goals in his last five matches, averaging one every 104.5 minutes, making him the top-scoring English player in the league this season.

When the Premier League resumed in November 2025, Danny Welbeck’s name returned to the headlines after a remarkable scoring streak reignited talk of an England recall. The Brighton forward has found the net six times in ten league appearances this season, with all those goals coming in his last five games.

His latest strike came during Brighton’s commanding 3-0 victory over Leeds United, taking him past every other English player in the scoring charts. Wayne Rooney, speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, said England manager Thomas Tuchel will “definitely” consider calling up the 34-year-old for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania. Welbeck, who last represented England in 2018, is averaging a goal every 104.5 minutes, a scoring rate bettered by only eight players across Europe’s top five leagues.

Rooney praised Welbeck’s consistency and fitness, adding that Manchester United should have re-signed him last season. Currently, Harry Kane remains the continent’s most efficient striker with a goal every 58.67 minutes, but Rooney believes Welbeck’s form and work rate have made him England’s next best option. Settled at Brighton and leading by example, Welbeck’s resurgence has made him one of the most in-form forwards in English football.