The Manchester United and Three Lions striker, who turns 30 in October, is with the Red Devils squad in Santa Clara as they prepare to face Champions League holders Barcelona on Saturday as they continue their pre-season tour of USA.
In the lead up to the clash Rooney, who has netted 48 times for his country and trails all-time leading scorer Sir Bobby Charlton by one, explained to ESPN how he has started to view the game differently over recent years.
“I think as a player, and hopefully one day going into coaching, then you're always trying to pick up things, what teams are doing and, especially as you get a little bit older, you are trying to see how different teams are playing the game and how you feel you could counteract that. It's a different way of watching football and learning from it,” he said.
England v Switzerland
UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifier
7.45pm, Tuesday 8 September 2015
Wembley Stadium connected by EE
Buy tickets here
Although this weekend’s meeting with the Spanish giants is non-competitive, Rooney knows he and the United squad will be coming up against formidable opponents.
“Barcelona are a fantastic team,' said Rooney. “After Real Madrid winning the Champions League [in 2014], they wouldn't have liked that and they've come out again and been incredible really, probably as good as they have been over the last 10 years, I believe.”
The Catalans bring back memories for Rooney after he twice suffered Champions League final heartbreak against them.
The frontman was in the United side that lost at Wembley in 2011 and in Rome two years previous, and he admits those defeats are still hard to take.
“You're so close to winning it and to lose twice to Barcelona is hard to take really,” he added.
“I think you sometimes have to hold your hands up and say they were the better team - the best team in Europe - and it was going to be difficult for us to win the game.
“I'd say probably the game at Wembley, being there, it would have been nice to have won the Champions League there.”
Rooney will be hoping to surpass Sir Bobby’s England goal record when Roy Hodgson’s side welcome Switzerland to Wembley on Tuesday 8 September for their Euro 2016 qualifier.
