Wayne Rooney Reveals Which England Teammate Didn’t Speak to Him for Six Months

Wayne Rooney has shared that during his time with England, one of his former teammates refused to communicate with him for half a year following a contentious incident in a Premier League match.

Rooney discussed this during his recent BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, shortly after his former club, Manchester United, suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to Arsenal as they began their new campaign.

The incident in question dates back to the 2004-05 season, during a match between Manchester United and Arsenal, which was notable for ending Arsenal’s 49-game unbeaten streak. Rooney was involved in a key moment when he fell under a challenge from Sol Campbell to win a penalty, which was converted by Ruud van Nistelrooy. Rooney then sealed the victory with a late goal.

However, the challenge from Campbell led to a fallout, with Campbell and his teammates believing Rooney had dived. This resulted in tensions and a rare period of silence between Rooney and Campbell, which lasted over six months. Rooney recalled that despite international duty meetings, Campbell refused to speak to him because of the incident.

Adding context, Rooney described the rivalry: “When I joined United, playing against Arsenal was always intense, like the game with Roy Keane and Vieira at Highbury, where everything felt on a knife’s edge.”

Rooney also reminisced about the infamous ‘Pizzagate’ incident, when Cesc Fàbregas, then just 17, threw a slice of pizza at Sir Alex Ferguson after the game, which epitomized the heated atmosphere among players.

“It was a big match for Arsenal. If they had won, they would have completed 50 undefeated games,” Rooney said. “Campbell didn’t speak to me for months afterward because he thought I dived. I maintain I made minimal contact.”

He also recalled the electrifying atmosphere during his first game at Highbury for Manchester United, featuring iconic players and intense rivalry, though he noted the rivalry has since softened.

Overall, Rooney’s revelations shed light on the fierce rivalries and tensions that colored some of the most memorable moments in early 2000s Premier League football.

Wayne Rooney described how a teammate refused to speak to him for months after a controversial match.