Former Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney has opened up about the single biggest regret from his storied 19-year football career, pinpointing his decision to play in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
The Ill-Fated World Cup Campaign
Rooney, now 40, was a global star after a stunning Euro 2004 debut. However, his path to the 2006 tournament was shattered just months before when he broke three metatarsal bones in his foot during a Premier League match for Manchester United against Chelsea in April 2006.
In a race against time, he underwent intensive rehabilitation to be fit for England. He succeeded, making his first appearance in the group stage against Trinidad and Tobago. Yet, the striker has now admitted he was never truly fit and his participation was a mistake.
"My biggest regret is going to the World Cup in 2006 probably," Rooney stated on his podcast, 'The Wayne Rooney Show'. "I weren't fit, I shouldn't have gone, and then it ended with getting a red card. If I went back, I probably wouldn't go."
A Tournament of Pain and Heartbreak
Rooney's World Cup ended in infamy during England's quarter-final clash with Portugal. He was shown a red card for a stamp on defender Ricardo Carvalho, leaving his ten-man teammates to eventually lose on penalties.
He has previously described that moment as his "lowest moment in football." The regret was compounded by a secret injury he sustained upon arrival in Germany. In a 2020 column for The Times, Rooney revealed he tore his groin in his very first training session by attempting an audacious long-range shot.
"I got one of the physios to quietly work on it every day. I was taking painkillers," he wrote. "I didn't report the injury until the tournament was over — and there was a 6cm tear in my groin."
Management Regrets at Birmingham City
Since retiring from playing in January 2021, Rooney has also ventured into management. He reflected on another significant regret: the timing of his appointment as manager of Birmingham City in 2023.
He replaced the popular John Eustace but was sacked after only 15 games in charge. "My biggest regret in management was the timing I went into Birmingham, for sure," Rooney conceded. "The fans liked John, and they had started okay in the league, and I just wouldn't do it again."
Despite these regrets, Rooney's playing legacy remains untouchable. He is Manchester United's all-time record goalscorer with 253 goals, a five-time Premier League winner, a Champions League victor in 2008, and was England's record goalscorer until Harry Kane surpassed his tally of 53 international goals.
