England coach Fabio Capello has revealed that Wayne Rooney is his squad's totem and inspiration.

And the Italian admitted that the Manchester United man is utterly central to his thinking as he said: "Rooney is a player of a different order and in my opinion the best in the Premier League.

"I know him well - he is one of those professionals who knows how to suffer, who always wants to be playing and never wants to rest or sit on the bench, even if I try to convince him that this would be better for him.

"He is a born leader who reminds me of others of that kind, like Franco Baresi and Raul.

"The three of them have a lot of charisma. They know how to conquer the respect and confidence of their team-mates and the fans. With Rooney we have more options to go for the World Cup. He doesn't only stand out for his football qualities. But also for his qualities as a person."