Rooney: Stamp was not deliberate
England striker Wayne Rooney insists his stamp on Ricardo Carvalho during the World Cup quarter-final defeat to Portugal was not deliberate.
Rooney, 20, was dismissed after the challenge on the Chelsea centre-back and a subsequent confrontation with Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.
England held on to a goalless draw against Portugal but went on to lose on penalties.
In his book serialised in the Mail on Sunday, Rooney said: “In being forced back, I had trod on the player on the ground.
“It turned out to be Carvalho. And I was aware that my foot had landed between his legs, which, of course, is about the nastiest place to get hurt, but it was an accident.
“I couldn’t believe that the ref, who was so near, hadn’t realised that. Perhaps he was too near.”
Rooney added: “I’ll go to my grave and still maintain it was a complete accident. I hadn’t intended to do it. I had my back to the player. I couldn’t see him, or where I was putting my foot.
“If you think about it, if I’d done it deliberately, if it had been a definite stamp meant to harm him, the fella would still be in hospital to this day. But he was up on his feet in minutes, no worse for wear.”
