Wayne Rooney contacted by FA over claims he wanted to 'hurt someone' in 2006 Chelsea game
By Tom Gott
The FA have contacted Wayne Rooney to ask for an explanation of the Derby County manager's recent claims that he changed his studs before a meeting with Chelsea in 2006 to help him 'hurt someone'.
Rooney's Manchester United travelled to Chelsea in April 2006 knowing that the Blues needed just a point to win the Premier League title. Chelsea won 3-0 but the game was nearly marred by a late collision with Rooney and John Terry which left the latter with a nasty cut on his leg.
Discussing the incident with the Daily Mail, Rooney confessed that he was so upset with the idea of giving Chelsea the title that he actually wanted to hurt one of their players.
“I changed my studs before the game," he said. “I put longer studs in because I wanted to hurt someone.
“If Chelsea won a point, they won the league. At that time, I couldn't take it. The studs were legal. They were a legal size. But they were bigger than what I would normally wear.”
According to The Athletic, Rooney's comments have caused concern at the FA and they have reached out to the Derby boss for a full explanation.
Terry managed to avoid a serious injury following the tough challenge from Rooney. He was prone on the ground for a few minutes and a stretcher was brought on to carry the centre-back away, but Terry managed to stand up on his own accord.
The Chelsea defender's sock was stained with blood but he stayed on the pitch and celebrated as goals from William Gallas, Joe Cole and Ricardo Carvalho fired Jose Mourinho's side to a second successive Premier League title.