Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney believes he has become the number-one target of over-zealous referees.
The England forward faces a three-match ban after being red-carded for elbowing a Porto player in a pre-season game in Amsterdam last week.
The incident comes just weeks after his controversial World Cup dismissal.
It was the fourth red card of Rooney’s career, and the third on foreign soil in 12 months.
Sir Alex Ferguson has already expressed his fears that the 20-year-old has become a marked man for officials, eager to make a name for themselves, and Rooney believes there could be some truth in this.
”Possibly, I am getting picked on,” he said. ”Referees get a lot of headlines with some of the decisions they make.
”I am not having a go at the referee but it is just the way the game has gone and sometimes, players have to take the consequences of that.
”In the Premier League the referees let it go a bit but the foreign refs slow it down and are quick with the cards.”
”I feel a bit let down,” said Rooney, who was speaking at the launch of his recently released autobiography Wayne Rooney: My Story So Far.
”If you watch the video, I did not take my eyes off the ball once.
”On the way down, my hands brushed against the player. There was not much contact but the lad went down and stayed down.
”I certainly feel a bit harshly done to.”
Meanwhile, Rooney has called on the boo-boys to lay off teammate Cristiano Ronaldo with the Portugal winger being blamed for his active role in getting Rooney sent off during England’s World Cup quarter-final defeat.
After making his own peace with Ronaldo, Rooney does not feel his 21-year-old United teammate should be subjected to any more abuse.
”I would rather he didn’t get any stick,” said Rooney. ”You do not want to see any player get booed.
”Unfortunately, whenever England do not do well in a World Cup or a major tournament, people look for a scapegoat. This year, people turned on Cristiano and tried to make him that.
”I am not going to lie, I was disappointed with his involvement in the sending off. But that is in the past now. He was playing for his country, I was playing for mine.
”But I think he is big enough to deal with anything that come his way. You saw that the other night. Cristiano got booed but he still scored two fantastic goals.”
Rooney spoke to Ronaldo on the evening of the quarterfinal and was assured by him there was nothing personal about his conduct, especially the infamous wink to the Portugal bench.
”A lot has been said about the wink,” said Rooney. ”I have spoken to him about that but it had nothing to do with me being sent off.”
Meanwhile, Rooney backed John Terry to be a successful England skipper and Liverpool midfielder Steve Gerrard vice-captain.
”Both Steven and John Terry are great captains,” said Rooney.
”Steven is a good friend and a has a great attitude.
”But I also know John Terry will do a fantastic job for England, as he has done for Chelsea. He is a real leader on the pitch.”
Having already skippered United at Macclesfield during the Red Devils pre-season campaign, Rooney is seen as a potential captain by Ferguson.
But the striker admits he still has plenty of developing to do before he can even think about taking on such a role.
”I was joking when I said to [England manager] Steve McClaren I wanted to be captain,” he said.
”I am not ready to be captain of my club yet, let alone my country.
”It would be nice to captain United though. If you got the chance, I don’t think anyone would turn it down. It is a major honour and in the years ahead, it is something I would like to do.” — AFP
