Shearer backs Pearce for England job

Wayne Rooney is not concerned about the nationality of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s successor – but former England skipper Alan Shearer insists Stuart Pearce’s inexperience should not count against him if the Football Association choose a home-grown candidate.

As the most talked-about young player in the English game, Rooney is bound to be a key figure in the plans of the man who eventually gets the chance to replace Eriksson following this summer’s World Cup.