Football

Wayne Rooney: 2016 World Cup red card strengthened my relationship with Ronaldo

Monday, April 06, 2020 at 1:46 PM by Oluwatomiwa Babalola

- Wayne Rooney has labeled the 2006 World Cup red card against Portugal as the worst feeling ever

- The ex-Man United star was sent off in the 61st minute of their quarterfinal clash

- Rooney insisted that the incident strengthened his relationship with ex-Man United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney was handed straight red twice during his 15-year reign at the national level.

One of the moments the Derby County forward was sent off was in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal clash between England and Portugal.

He got entangled with former Chelsea star Ricardo Carvalho in a battle for the ball but stamped the defender in the process. The action that got him sent off the pitch.

Rooney's red card was however aided by his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo who protested after witnessing the situation.

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The former Three Lions star has now described the situation as his worst feeling ever but insisted that he does not blame Ronaldo for the incident.

England were bundled out of the championship through penalties after both sides failed to score during open play.

Rooney told Sunday Times: "The game was going OK. Then, early in the second half, came my red card. It was a reaction to the referee not giving me a free-kick.

"There was a clear foul, the former Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho was pulling and pushing me and Petit came in from the other side.

"Elizondo did nothing and I planted my foot down on Carvalho — it one of those moments when you’re not thinking.

"I knew it was a red card and back in the dressing room I watched the rest of the game on a little TV, thinking: 'If we win this, I’m suspended for a World Cup semi-final and final and if we lose it’s my fault'. It was the worst, weirdest feeling I’ve had in football.

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"I had my phone in my hand and I was getting all these messages about Ronaldo. Of course, when he ran over to ask Elizondo to send me off I pushed him away.

"In that moment I couldn’t believe what he was doing. But sitting in that dressing room gave me time to calm down and think.

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"I thought: 'Actually, I tried to get him booked in the first half for diving'. And the wink thing, I didn’t see anything in that at all. It was nothing. So I calmed down."

Legit.ng earlier reported that Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the greatest player of all time by fans beating his arch-rival Lionel Messi of Barcelona in a World Cup voting style.

The Portugal international and Lionel Messi have been into serious rivalry for years in which seven Ballon d'Or awards have been won by these two players.