Ronaldo is backing his former club-mate to shine in France this summer,Rooney sees red in 2006

Cristiano Ronaldo has heaped praise on his old rival Wayne Rooney and admitted it would be emotional if they went head to head again at Euro 2016.

Ronaldo and Rooney have a long history, not just from their partnership at Manchester United, but also from a series of explosive matches between England and Portugal.

Both started the game when Portugal beat England on penalties in the ­quarter-finals of Euro 2004 – a match in which Rooney suffered a broken foot.

But the defining game came in the World Cup in Germany in 2006 when Rooney was sent off for a stamp on Ricardo Carvalho as England crashed out – once again on spot kicks.

This time, Ronaldo’s knowing wink – caught on camera as Roo trudged off – made him an international villain and sparked speculation that he and Rooney would never be able to play together again.

But the pair did manage to forgive and forget – and now Ronaldo says it would be something special to encounter his old rival again in France.

England kick off off their Euro campaign on Saturday against Russia in Marseille and Ronaldo is relishing the prospect of ­potentially meeting Roy Hodgson’s side in the knock-out stages.

He said: “A match against England would be very emotive for me – because of Wayne Rooney and because of many other things too. Roo is now a leader and that’s not a surprise.

“I was always convinced that he would be a star for England and, inevitably, captain one day. It’s a perfect role for him after the era of Beckham and Terry.

“For me, the character and pride of Rooney is unique – he’s still very important for England.”