England manager Gareth Southgate has said players should respect Wayne Rooney on his international return because they need to know “the history of the shirt”.
Rooney, 33, will earn his 120th and final England cap in the friendly against USA on 15 November.
The game, now called ‘The Wayne Rooney Foundation International’, will honour the striker and his charity.
“I think the team totally respect what he did,” Southgate said.
“I think it is important they respect what the players did in the past.”
England’s all-time record goalscorer Rooney will come on as a second-half substitute at Wembley but will not captain the side or wear the number 10 shirt.
The former England captain, who now plays in the United States for DC United, has scored 53 goals in 119 international appearances and last played for England against Scotland in November 2016.
“We talk to them a lot about that they have the shirt now but it is not their shirt, great players have worn it before them and great players will wear it after them,” Southgate added.
“That lineage and heritage of the shirt and the team is important to me because I think whether you join a club or (play for) your country you need to know the history of that shirt and the importance of it – then you are not playing for the name on the back but for the crest on the front.”
