Wayne Rooney 'apologised to Preston' for diving

Manchester United and England skipper Rooney went down in the box to win the spot kick after Stuckmann rushed off his line to challenge him towards the end of the game.

The incident, which led to Rooney scoring from the spot to wrap up a 3-1 win for the Red Devils at Deepdale, created a storm of controversy as the 29-year-old was accused of diving after replays showed there was no contact.

"After the game Rooney told me: 'Sorry, it was my chance to get a penalty. I had to use that'," Stuckmann is quoted as saying in The Sun.

The 33-year-old also had his say on the debate, which has seen England boss Roy Hodgson leap to Rooney's defence, and clarified that in his eyes it was not a foul.

"I say it clear: That was no penalty," he added. "I also believe that if the situation had happened the other way around, one of our strikers against the United keeper, the ref wouldn't have given the penalty. I have no doubt about that."

[HODGSON CHIPS IN: Roy Hodgson defends Wayne Rooney over 'dive' claims]

When asked in the BBC studio after the match if Rooney had dived, Hodgson said: 'Not for me. I just think he was taking evasive action.

''If you are a referee in the run of play without replays I don't think any of us would have said it is not a penalty.

''The goalkeeper has gone with both feet. Wayne has touched it past him.''

It's quite a simple situation. Rooney dived, albeit far more cleverly than most players do. Just as Hodgson claimed, Rooney was forced into taking evasive action - which, under the rules, still makes it a foul by the keeper.

Rooney not staying on his feet, however, was pure theatrics - and effective ones, which put the match beyond doubt and turned a very difficult call for the referee into a very easy one.

Marin Keown was widely mocked on social media for saying, "it's a dive... but it has to be a penalty." Yet his assessment was actually spot-on.