"Yes. (But) I guess you will have to ask him," Southgate told a press conference called to announce his 28-man squad for the away game at Malta on Sept. 1 and the home fixture against Slovakia at Wembley three days later.
Southgate said he had a long conversation with Rooney, who announced his retirement on Wednesday, about his decision and had been considering including him in the squad.
"His form has been excellent and I was definitely thinking about including him in the squad. We talked for about half-an-hour. As a manager in these situations you want to prod to see if a player has understood all the ramifications (of retiring).
"He had. He feels a sense of loyalty to Everton, his new club."
Rooney is England's record scorer and most capped outfield player with 53 goals in 119 games.
(Reporting by Neil Robinson; editing by Mark Heinrich)
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