Rooney hails 'unity' during France friendly: 'We need to stand together'

England captain Wayne Rooney, reflecting on a gripping, emotional evening at Wembley Stadium, praised all those involved in helping to make Tuesday's friendly match against France just that, in every sense of the word.

Played four days after a series of devastating terror attacks in Paris left 129 dead and scores more injured, Rooney, his England teammates, and the French squad partook in a pre-match tribute that saw the entire stadium both sing "La Marseillaise" - the French anthem - and pay tribute to the victims with a powerful moment of silence.

"It was always going to be a difficult night for everyone, especially the French players and staff," Rooney said following the Three Lions' 2-0 win, according to BBC Sport.

"For ourselves to be involved in this occasion was tough, the young players were excited but it was a difficult game for them. I thought both teams handled it extremely well. The fans were brilliant. This will be shown round the world and will show unity.

"Football is a global game and, as (France boss) Didier Deschamps said yesterday, it is not about religion or race. We need to stand tall and stand together in these tough times."

In an interview with ITV, France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris echoed those sentiments after the contest:

"First of all we wanted to sing in the stadium for all the people (in Paris), for all the respect. (During the match) we had a lack of aggression and concentration, but I think it's a bit normal," he said, as quoted by ESPN FC.

"It was more about solidarity and we showed character for the sport. Football is important and life is still going on and so we need to carry on.''