Wayne Rooney might have cost England the 2006 World Cup, says Sven-Goran Eriksson

Former England boss says it "could have been possible" to win the tournament

July 1, 2006 - Sent off in the World Cup quarter-final against Portugal after appearing to stamp on the groin of Ricardo Carvalho and then push Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo. (Getty Images)

Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson says the Three Lions could have won the 2006 World Cup had Wayne Rooney not been sent off against Portugal in the quarter-final.

Rooney was sent off with 62 minutes played after stamping on Ricardo Carvalho - England would hold on for a 0-0 draw before losing 3-1 in the penalty shoot-out, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher all missing from the spot.

Rooney, now England captain, will win his 100th cap today against Slovenia in the Euro 2016 qualifier at Wembley.

“It could have been possible [to win the World Cup] if he hadn’t have been sent off in 2006,” Eriksson told talkSPORT.

“If he had been on the pitch for the full 90 minutes then who knows what would have happened.

“It was a low point for him and me. In 2006 we all thought we had a good chance to reach a final and maybe win it. When I say we, I mean the players, the staff and myself. We were convinced that there was no better team than England at that World Cup.

“We could have won it but, when you get a red card in the quarter final of a World Cup, it’s hard.”