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England's Wayne Rooney is shown the red card after fouling Miodrag Dzudovic of Montenegro during the UEFA Euro 2012 group G qualifier. (GETTY)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has backed fiery England striker Wayne Rooney following his red card against Montenegro last Friday.
Rooney, 25, was sent off in the second half of England's 2-2 draw in Montenegro that booked the Three Lions' place at Euro 2012 for kicking out at Miodrag Dzudovic.
UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body is to meet on Thursday in Nyon to make a decision over the length of the ban Rooney will serve at next summer's tournament.
Ferguson has yet to see the incident but has defended the forward, expressing his belief that Rooney's temperament has improved over recent years.
"I texted him (Rooney) but he's not got back to me yet," Ferguson said on The Football Show on Sirius XM. "Obviously he will be disappointed.
"I didn't see it, I haven't seen it all. It was one of these, how do you put it, reflex actions by the boy. He's been tackled, and he's reacted. He's got the fiery temper which to my mind is not the worst thing in the world.
"But he's shown tremendous improvement in terms of his temperament, his reactions to tackle and things like that over the last few years. As maturity comes along, then it brings other things you see, it brings the responsibility, which he is improving all the time."
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