Ronaldo was 'afraid to return to England' after Rooney wink | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo admits he was “afraid” to return to England after the incident which saw Wayne Rooney sent off in the 2006 World Cup quarter-final.

Rooney was shown a red card against Portugal after stamping on Ricardo Carvalho and Ronaldo caused a media storm in England when cameras caught him winking at the Portugal bench.

For a time, the forward was jeered in every Premier League stadium but he insists he does not regret his actions, and that Rooney quickly forgave him.

“The media created a big drama which never existed,” he told Goalhanger. “So when I arrived back in England I was afraid, not because of Rooney but because of the supporters.

“They made a huge story when I did the wink, but it was not because of the circumstances with Rooney, it was another situation.

“It was difficult timing for me because I thought when I arrived in Manchester, people were going to boo me in all the stadiums.

“But it’s the past, I had a chat with him when I arrived back in Manchester,” the Juventus striker added. “We are still friends and he understands my point of view.

“Of course, he helped me in all circumstances. He said: “Cristiano, this is the past, let’s speak about the present, let’s win trophies together.”‘

“He’s a fantastic lad, as you say in England. I miss him! The future? Nobody knows, maybe we’ll play one day together again.”