Every single England fan would banish the memories from the nation's quarter-final match against Portugal at the 2006 World Cup if they could.

The Three Lions' 'Golden Generation' were tipped to the biggest prize of all out in Germany, but they were eliminated in heartbreaking fashion.

Portugal eventually prevailed in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw, Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the winning spot kick.

The Manchester United superstar crushed English dreams and he also became public enemy number one for his role in Wayne Rooney's infamous red card.

Rooney's stamp on Ricardo Carvalho saw him dismissed from the field of play by referee Horacio Elizondo, who'd been put under enormous pressure by Ronaldo and his Portugal teammates.

And as the Englishman stormed towards the tunnel, cameras spotted Ronaldo winking towards the bench, an act which became front page news.

Video: Rooney's red card at 2006 World Cup

Nobody has forgotten about it since, although Rooney insisted that he was not too upset with his then United colleague.

“I bear no ill-feeling to Cristiano but am disappointed he chose to get involved,” Rooney, who was just 20-years-old at the time, said.

Ronaldo also claimed there was no drama between the pair.

“At the end we texted each other and between us everything’s been cleared,” the five-time Ballon d'Or winner added.

“He wasn’t angry with me and, moreover, he told me to completely ignore what the English press has said, that all they wanted was to create confusion.”

GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - JULY 01: Wayne Rooney of England clashes with the Portuguese players before being sent off by Referee Horacio Elizondo of Argentina during the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 Quarter-final match between England and Portugal played at the Stadium Gelsenkirchen on July 1, 2006 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

But Rooney's England teammate Steven Gerrard was absolutely livid with what happened on the pitch.

In his autobiography, the Liverpool legend revealed what he told Rooney on the team bus after the game and it's safe to say he didn't hold back one bit.

“Sadly a dark side stains Cristiano Ronaldo’s game,” Gerrard wrote. “His part in Wayne Rooney’s dismissal was a disgrace.

“What really [got to] all the England players was Ronaldo’s wink to his bench. It was a wink which said ‘job done’. How could he do that to his Manchester United team-mate?

“On the bus after the game Wayne asked me: ‘What do you think about the wink?’

“I said: ‘Honestly, Wazza, if we were playing Spain and [Liverpool team-mates] Xabi Alonso or Luis Garcia winked at the referee or gave a signal for me to be sent off, I’d never speak to them again.'”

Given Rooney's fiery character, it's surprising that he was willing to forgive Ronaldo almost straight away.

The two returned to United as if nothing had happened. In the 2006/07 campaign, they were absolutely lethal as a strike partnership and helped the Red Devils win the Premier League title.