Football: Rooney does not see retirement as a possibility at any stage as he prepares for his 101st cap

Wayne Rooney says his wife Coleen supports his decision to keep playing. Photo / AP

There have been players who have played a 100 games for England all around Wayne Rooney in recent times: David Beckham, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. All have subsequently announced their retirement from international football.

That exceptional landmark of appearances was reached by Rooney at Wembley Stadium yesterday but the striker has no thoughts that he is moving into the final phase of his intense football career.

"I actually spoke to my wife about it, I said it's mad how all the players are retiring," Rooney recalled, as he took a few moments to reflect on his international career in the build-up to the Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia. "When you get to a certain age, you almost feel like you have to do it to extend your club career."

Rooney is using "mad" in its colloquial context, of course - peculiar, rather than anything more forceful or critical.

And neither is he at that "certain age" quite yet. He has only just turned 29 and so is comfortably the youngest of the nine players who have earned 100 caps for England to reach that mark, even if he is already deep into his 12th year as an international player.

Nevertheless, Rooney reiterates that he does not see retirement as a possibility at any stage. "A lot of the players I have played with over the last 10 years have - Steven, Frank, Ashley, Rio. They all retired," he says. "But me? No, I don't think so."

He did, however, have a conversation with Coleen, his wife, with Rooney's mind perhaps sharpened by the retirement of his close friend Gerrard. The 34-year-old left the international stage after the disappointment of the Brazil World Cup, to concentrate on prolonging his career at Liverpool.

"Coleen was the one who said to me: 'It's a short career, you have got plenty of time to have your time off with us as a family when you finish playing and you will regret it if you do retire'," Rooney reveals.

"Football is what I love doing. I love playing for my country and I would regret it. I don't think I ever would walk away."

Roy Hodgson, the England manager, has already spoken of how he expects Rooney to feature for five more years for his country, although that would take him tantalisingly close to Euro 2020 when the semifinals and final will be at Wembley. It would be some send-off to help England into that tournament and its latter stages - and, who knows, maybe even win it?

"I hope so," Rooney says. "I think that would be a tough one to make but I hope I can. I certainly want to be playing at the next World Cup in 2018. Depending on how I am playing and whether the manager picks me, I go on if selected."

There is an expectation that not only will Rooney surpass the record goals total for England of 49 set by Sir Bobby Charlton, who travelled down from Manchester to present him with his 100th cap, but will also comfortably pass Peter Shilton's 125 caps for England.

"I don't think I can afford to look that far ahead, to be honest," Rooney says.

"Obviously I am aware the targets are there and I have got time on my side to reach those goals and I've always said I understand that football is a short career and you are retired a long time - I can say this now and you never know in the future but I wouldn't want to cut my career short for the sake of having a few more extra days off.

"When I finish playing I can have that time off and I know I would regret it. I'll play as long as I am selected and hopefully that is a lot more years to come."

Rooney accepts that he may need to modify the way he plays and draws encouragement from Ryan Giggs, who continued playing until he was 40 after retiring from Wales aged 33.

"Yes, 100 per cent," he says. "I always believe I have the quality to play different roles. I've watched many games and always taken notice of how midfield players are playing whether that be with or against me. That will really help me to extend my career to be in more control of a game rather than being an impact player."

One of the most sensitive and enduring debates around Rooney has been whether he has the requisite athletic prowess, not to mention the fear that, having burst on the scene aged just 17, he may "burn out".

"I think when I first came into the professional game, a lot of people were looking and saying my body shape won't allow me to play for that long but in some ways I feel it has helped me, because I am quite strong in my body," Rooney says.

"I haven't picked up a lot of muscle injuries and they are the ones where you have seen players over the years who have hamstring injuries or thigh injuries and it is difficult to come back and be the same player, when you reach a certain age.

"And I have been lucky enough not to have any, I had a small injury in my groin last year but other than that all my injuries have been impact or a couple of cuts which I've had. I feel good. I feel as fit as ever."

Sir Alex Ferguson famously questioned Rooney's conditioning. "I think I am not a natural athlete when you look at some players' physiques," he says.

"I am not built that way. But in terms of miles covered in training and on the pitch, I am always at the top so I think it doesn't matter what you look like as a player physically.

"I think it is how you get about the pitch and I have certainly had no problems throughout my career with that. Again, I think the next few years will be vital how I look after myself, how I do my training. That will determine how long I play on for."

Cap number 101 will quickly follow.

Rooney has no intention of resting or being rested for tomorrow's friendly away against Scotland at Celtic Park - a venue he loves.

"It won't be a friendly. You have some games with England, when they're friendlies, and they're games you know you should win and there is that friendly feeling to it. Against Scotland it won't be like a friendly game."

It will also, Rooney hopes, be a fitting occasion and venue to launch the next phase of his England career.