Wayne Rooney opens up on crucial European game he ‘shouldn’t have played’, despite providing assist for stunning Cristiano Ronaldo goal

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Wayne Rooney has opened up about how he played in a Champions League semi-final despite feeling unwell.

It has been a long time since Manchester United were considered contenders to win the Champions League.

Nowadays, United tend to compete in Europe’s second-tier competition, which is the case again this season after reaching the Europa League semi-finals.

Ruben Amorim was made United head coach in November and has been tasked with restoring the club to its former glories. That will take time and patience, but we can take inspiration from previous United teams that were forces in Europe.

After winning the Champions League in 2008, United pushed hard to win it again the following season, before losing to Barcelona in the final.

Sir Alex Ferguson assembled a team consisting of top players like Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Wayne Rooney. The Red Devils proved too good for Arsenal in the 2008/09 Champions League semi-final.

Wayne Rooney makes admission over 2009 Champions League semi-final

Manchester United went into the semi-final tie at the Emirates Stadium with a 1-0 lead over Arsenal.

Ferguson’s side was on a quest to win back-to-back Champions League titles, having beaten Chelsea to the trophy in 2008, but Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal were unable to stand in their way.

United beat Arsenal 3-1 thanks to Ronaldo’s brace and a strike from Ji-Sung Park.

However, United’s all-time top scorer Rooney has revealed he should not have played in the semi-final win over Arsenal.

Rooney was pivotal in the 3-1 win, assisting one of Ronaldo’s goals on a blistering counter-attack, but he now claims he was so ill on the day he didn’t make the after-party.

“I shouldn’t have played this game, I wasn’t well at all,” Rooney said, as cited by the Daily Mail.

“The doctor gave me a load of medication to get me through the game. We had a bit of a party after this game but I didn’t go, I went straight to bed.”

Rooney explains how Manchester United hurt Arsenal

Rooney’s commitment was rarely questioned as a player. His appearance in the semi-final win over Arsenal shows how he put the team first when it mattered.

The former England captain went on to assess Ronaldo’s brilliant goal after catching Arsenal on a counter-attack, explaining how Ferguson knew how to hurt Arsenal.

He added: “We knew how to play against Arsenal for many years. We’d change our game, we’d play a lot more defensive. We’d play a low block, and like that goal there, we’d try to hit them on the break.

“To win any major competition, to win the Champions League especially, you have to adapt to certain games and certain opposition.”