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Wayne Rooney says England players have held meetings among themselves

Ruben Sprich / Reuters

Wayne Rooney's debut as England captain was marred by significant criticism from supporters who were unhappy with their team's lackluster performance in a 1-0 friendly win over Norway. Rooney, in particular, came under fire for his inability to link up with teammates in the match.

However, it's important to separate the 28-year-old's performance on the pitch from his captaincy role, as it appears Rooney is taking the new responsibility very seriously.

"We have had meetings among ourselves, just players in the rooms, watching videos and discussing how we can do better as a team," Rooney told the BBC.

The meetings may have played a part in England's improved display against Switzerland on Monday as they emerged with a 2-0 away win to kick off their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.

"Obviously the manager gives us our game plan, but because we don't spend that much time together as a team we need to know and feel confident in what we're doing together as a team," Rooney added. "In the meetings, you're having the players speak up who wouldn't normally speak up when coaches are there. They've been good and I think the players have really stood up. We've worked hard."

England's next fixtures will come against San Marino and Estonia on Oct. 9 and Oct. 12, respectively.

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