Wayne Rooney's England experience key to Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy handing Euro 2016 pressure - John Barnes

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EXCLUSIVE

Wayne Rooney's experience of major international tournaments will be important in helping Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy cope with the pressure of playing for England at Euro 2016, according to John Barnes.

Roy Hodgson announced his final 23-man squad for this summer's European Championships today, with Vardy, Kane and Rooney named among the England coach's attacking options for the tournament in France alongside Daniel Sturridge and Marcus Rashford.

Kane and Vardy ended last season as the Premier League's top scorers with 25 and 24 strikes respectively, but are now preparing to play in their first European Championships.

Barnes, who scored 11 goals in 79 appearances for England, believes the duo's lack of experience at international level will make Rooney's role in the England team all the more important, and admitted he wants to see the Manchester United captain partner Kane in attack in France.

When asked how he thinks Vardy and Kane will handle the pressure at Euro 2016, Barnes told Standard Sport: "You can never tell.

"This is where you have to look at the experience of Wayne Rooney because Wayne said himself, on their day, this England side can beat anyone but can they do it consistently?

"With youth, comes inconsistency. With this team, potentially, they can go all the way and win it but we have to remember there are four games and they have to put in four consecutive performances.

"Yes, this team can beat anyone on their day but we know they can also lose. Like Liverpool, I'm not putting this England team under any pressure to do anything at all.

"I will put them under more pressure in two years when they have more experience for the next World Cup. Once they go through the group, anything else is a bonus."

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

When then asked who he would like to see play up front for England, Barnes said: "Kane and Rooney.

"The strikers we have are good, but defensively is where we really have to stop teams scoring. That's probably our weakness."

John Barnes was speaking to us while training up mascots with Emirates ahead of the Emirates FA Cup Final. Find out more at www.facebook.com/TheFACup

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