Obviously, I wasn't privvy to what was asked of Hodgson, but he could have been less equivocal. Something along the lines of... Wayne obviously realises that no player's place in the team is certain... would have created that little bit of distance which would have pleased an awful lot of supporters who want to look to the future and not the past. But sadly, like previous England managers, he has a misguided sense of loyalty.
There is no contract to play for the country. The moment a player has dipped in form or lost it entirely, when there are better players, or players who are more effective because they are in better form, or that they improve the team's balance rather than lop-side it, then that player who has dipped should be out. No player should have special status. The result is healthy competition for places and it's something England managers, past and present, are not ruthless enough about. Instead they carry on with old favourites while better players lose their desire knowing they'll never get a chance. Rooney has more than had his 15 minutes of fame. There are more effective players around. Leaving him out might do him some good.
