Wayne Rooney names biggest regret of his football career: 'It was horrible'

Wayne Rooney admits being sent off for England in the 2006 World Cup against Portugal is the biggest regret of his career.

Rooney, then just 20, was red carded for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho and England’s 10 men lost 3-1 on penalties after holding Portugal to a 0-0 draw. His Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to get involved and winked at the Portugal bench when the Three Lions striker was dismissed.

But Rooney played down talk of a spat and remembers how “horrible” he felt in the dressing room after his red card.

“The red card in the World Cup was my lowest moment in football,” he told Sky Bet’s The Overlap. “That was a difficult one because I remember going in the dressing room and thinking, if we go through, I’m suspended for the semi-final and final if we get there, and if we don’t, it’s your fault. It was horrible.”

Rooney contrasts that moment with Euro 2004 when he lit up the tournament as an 18-year-old, scoring four goals, before he broke his metatarsal bone in his right foot in the quarter-finals against Portugal, ending his tournament.

He says those Euros were his favourite moment with England and said: “I just loved that tournament and obviously I never got back to those heights for England.

“I just loved that time and wanted to play every day, and every minute, but unfortunately it didn’t pan out like we wanted.”

Rooney played in many of the world ’s greatest stadiums, but says Wembley was his favourite.

“My favourite ground to play in was Wembley, I love Wembley,” he said. “I like Arsenal ’s new stadium as well. I used to love White Hart Lane, Highbury, these types of grounds. But I think Wembley is incredible.”