England manager Roy Hodgson explains why he substituted record-chasing Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney’s hunt for a 50th international goal did not affect Roy Hodgson’s plan to take his striker off, the England manager confirmed.

Hodgson replaced his captain 57 minutes into a 6-0 win over San Marino after Rooney had scored a penalty that brought him level with Sir Bobby Charlton as England’s record goalscorer.

With the opposition tiring substitutes Harry Kane and Theo Walcott opened their accounts for the season, the Arsenal striker netting two composed finishes, but Hodgson claimed he did not want to run the risk of Rooney picking up an injury on a sub-standard playing surface.

"It was in our thoughts to keep Wayne on for 45 to 60 minutes because other players needed to play," the manager explained.

"We played well today and players like Jonjo Shelvey had a good game on a very difficult pitch."