“It's not Wayne Rooney's fault.” - England captain David Beckham

England team urges English media not to blame Wayne Rooney.

''I think that you, much more than me, need Wayne Rooney,'' said England manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson. ''He is the golden boy of English football, so don't kill him.''

''If he did it with intention or not, leave it, you need him for the qualification games and to win Euro 2008. I have no hard feelings,'' Eriksson said.

Eriksson addresed the media after controversial FIFA World Cup official, Horacio Elizondo, sent Wayne Rooney off. And just when England thought Elizondo will be out to screw David Beckham from the FIFA World Cup tournament again.

''I spoke to Wayne after the game and he had no intention to do it,'' Eriksson said.

''I also went to the referee to speak and he was 100 percent sure it was a red card. He told me he hit the other player and where he was hit so I can't complain about that,'' he adds.

Beckham, who along with Rooney and Ray Wilkins are the only England players ever to be sent off in a FIFA World Cup, said Rooney should not be blamed.

''I haven't even seen the incident on TV. But I do know that ten seconds before there were two players on his back. If the referee had seen that he couldn't have sent him off,'' Beckham said.

Beckham, who quit as England captain Sunday, said he hoped Rooney did not suffer the same sort of vilification that he received following his 1998 sending-off against Argentina, when he was taken out from the game by, you guessed it, Horacio Elizondo.

Who will win the 2006 FIFA World Cup? Can Portugal win the World Cup after eliminating England? Bet on SIA today.