I should have stayed home — Wayne Rooney reveals biggest career regret

Despite being United’s all-time leading scorer with 253 goals and winning five Premier League titles, Wayne Rooney believes he made one huge mistake that could have derailed his career.

After exploding onto the scene at Euro 2004, Rooney’s 2006 World Cup participation was jeopardised by three broken metatarsals suffered just months before the tournament.

In a desperate race for fitness, he recovered to feature in the second group game, but the campaign ended in heartbreak as he was sent off during the quarter-final defeat to Portugal. +1

Speaking on 'The Wayne Rooney Show', he admitted that his lack of fitness made his inclusion a significant error.

"My biggest regret is probably going to the World Cup in 2006," he said. "I wasn'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."

Rooney has since described that red card for a stamp on Ricardo Carvalho as his "lowest moment in football." He recalled the psychological toll in the dressing room:

"That was a difficult one because I remember going in the dressing room and thinking, if we go through, I’m suspended for the semi-final and final if we get there. If we don’t, it’s your fault. It was horrible."

Compounding the disaster, Rooney later revealed he suffered a 6cm groin tear during his first training session in Germany while hitting a ball from the halfway line. He hid the injury and used painkillers to play.

"I didn’t report the injury until the tournament was over—and there was a 6cm tear in my groin," he explained. "Looking back, I should never have gone to that World Cup."