Wayne Rooney names England teammate who refused to speak to him for six months

Wayne Rooney named the England team-mate who refused to speak to him for six months.

On Sunday, Arsenal beat Manchester United 1-0 in their Premier League opener, courtesy of a first-half Riccardo Calafiori header.

While reflecting upon the weekend’s game, former England and United forward Rooney recounted previous heated affairs between the two clubs.

Indeed, Rooney even revealed that his England colleague, Sol Campbell, didn’t talk to him for six months after a penalty incident between the pair in United's 2-0 win over the Gunners during the 2004-05 season.

Arsenal, then coached by Arsene Wenger, had gone the entire previous Premier League season unbeaten, but Sir Alex Ferguson’s United ended their 49-game unbeaten league streak at Old Trafford.

Ruud van Nistelrooy gave United the lead from the penalty spot, after Rooney went down inside the box under a challenge from Arsenal skipper Campbell.

Rooney, who had joined United from Everton earlier that summer, then wrapped up the win in the 93rd minute.

“I used to love playing against Arsenal,” Rooney said, on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show. “I remember my first game at Highbury for Manchester United was the game with Roy [Keane] and [Patrick] Vieira’s [argument] in the tunnel.

“The game’s on a knife edge and you can feel it. Even the referee got it.

“We had the [Cesc] Fabregas one when he threw a pizza at Alex Ferguson in the tunnel. There’s fights in the tunnel, which everyone was involved in as well.

"Sol Campbell didn't speak to me for six months." @WayneRooney

That Man Utd/Arsenal rivalry was something else 😅 pic.twitter.com/RpXJlYmq0T

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 18, 2025

“I think when we beat them 2-0 [a year] after the [Martin] Keown incident, Sol Campbell didn’t speak to me for over six months. We’d meet up with England and Sol wouldn’t speak to me.”

He joked: “Sometimes I was [happy about that] with Sol.

“No I’d say to him, ‘Come on, man. We’re playing for England here.

“But he wouldn’t speak to me because he felt I’d dived [in a game between Arsenal and United]. He left his leg out and I think there was a small contact.”