Campbell didn't speak to me for six months - Rooney

Wayne Rooney says his former England team-mate Sol Campbell went six months without speaking to him after a penalty incident between the pair in Manchester United's 2-0 win against Arsenal during the 2004-05 season.

Arsenal, coached by Arsene Wenger, had been Premier League Invincibles the previous season, but Sir Alex Ferguson's United snapped their 49-game unbeaten league streak in an ill-tempered victory at Old Trafford.

Ruud van Nistelrooy gave the home side the lead from the penalty spot, after Rooney went down inside the box under the challenge of Arsenal centre-back Campbell.

Rooney, who had joined United from Everton earlier that summer, then sealed the victory in the 93rd minute - on his 19th birthday.

After the game, a slice of pizza was thrown at Ferguson by then 17-year-old Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas - a chaotic moment that would go on to be dubbed as the 'Pizzagate'.

"It was a big game for Arsenal. If they had won it, it was 50 games unbeaten for them," said Rooney, speaking on his new BBC podcast The Wayne Rooney Show.

"We beat them 2-0 and Campbell did not speak to me for over six months.

"We met up [during international duty] and Sol won't speak to me. Sometimes, I was with Sol and I'd say to him: 'Come on man, we are playing for England here'.

"But he wouldn't speak to me because he felt I dived. He left his leg out and I think there was a small contact."

Matches between Arsenal and Manchester United contained seven red cards between February 1997 and February 2005 as the two sides battled regularly for major honours.

In 2003-04, Van Nistelrooy was accused by the Arsenal players of overreacting and getting Gunners skipper Patrick Vieira dismissed for a second yellow.

When the Dutch striker then went on to miss an injury-time penalty in the game that was billed 'Battle of Old Trafford', it sparked unsavoury reactions from his opponents - in particular Martin Keown.

The following season Roy Keane and Vieira clashed in the tunnel at Arsenal's former stadium Highbury, with referee Graham Poll having to separate the captains.

Reviewing Arsenal's 1-0 win at Old Trafford in their Premier League opener on Sunday, Rooney said: "When I joined United, it was the big rivalry we had. I used to love playing against them, but it has died down a little bit now.

"I remember my first game at Highbury for United was the one with Roy and Vieira in the tunnel. You can feel the game was on a knife-edge and even the referees got it.

"We had the Fabregas one with Ferguson in the tunnel - with him throwing a pizza at [Ferguson]. There were fights in the tunnel where everyone was involved."