Wayne Rooney has admitted his red card against Montenegro in October
was ‘stupid’ as he will miss England’s first two games at Euro 2012.
Rooney
was sent off in England’s final European Championship qualifier for
kicking out at defender Miodrag Dzudovic and is now ineligible for
England’s group matches against France and Sweden.
The Manchester United striker revealed he ‘regretted it as soon as I did it’.
“It was a stupid thing to do,” Rooney said.
“I regretted it as soon as I did it. I honestly don’t know why I did it.
“It was just one of those moments which I live to regret now.”
Rooney
is confident that his England team-mates can do a good job without him
before he is available for his country’s final group match against
co-hosts Ukraine.
“We’ve got a big squad and a good squad so
there’s going to be players available to take over and play the first
two games,” the 26-year-old said.
“I just have to make sure I’m in
there, getting in amongst the players and getting in the spirit with
the players for that first week.”
Rooney believes he owes England’s fans a good performance at international level.
At
Euro 2004 his tournament started impressively but ended when he was
injured and substituted after 27 minutes of England’s quarter-final loss
to Portugal.
Two years later Rooney suffered a metatarsal injury just before the 2006 World Cup,
recovered to play in a group match against Trinidad & Tobago but
was then red-carded for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho in another
quarter-final loss to Portugal.
The Three Lions failed to qualify
for Euro 2008 under Steve McClaren, while at the 2010 World Cup in South
Africa, England’s disappointing campaign included Rooney criticising
England fans as he left the pitch after a lacklustre goalless draw with
Algeria.
“To be honest in all the tournaments, apart from the
first tournament at Euro 2004 maybe, the others have ended in
disappointment for England and me personally as well,” Rooney said.
“So it’s something I want to put right.”
