Wayne Rooney has dismissed claims that Cristiano Ronaldo's actions at the 2006 World Cup were a betrayal, insisting the incident actually strengthened their partnership at Manchester United.
Rooney was sent off for stamping on Portugal's Ricardo Carvalho during England's quarter-final defeat. Ronaldo, then a United teammate, was seen urging the referee to show a red card and later winking at the Portugal bench as Rooney left the pitch.
Writing in his Sunday Times column, Rooney said: 'I put myself in Ronaldo's shoes. Would I do the same? Probably. Would I be in the ref's face to make sure he got sent off? If he deserved the red, if it would help us win — yes, no question.'
Rooney recalled speaking to Ronaldo in the tunnel after the match, telling him: 'I've no issues with you. Enjoy your tournament and good luck. I'll see you in a few weeks — and let's go try and win the league.'
The former England striker said the media 'dragged it out all summer', but the pair had no lingering issues. In the first game of the 2006-07 season, Rooney scored twice and set up Ronaldo in a 5-1 win over Fulham. 'What had happened brought us closer together on the pitch,' Rooney added. 'The next three years were our best as a partnership and brought three titles and the Champions League.'
