KHARKIV, UKRAINE - England's bad boy claims he'll be a good little angel when he returns to the lineup.

Of course, when the player in question is the always-controversial Wayne Rooney, well, let's wait and see, shall we.

After all, we've heard this same song and dance before from the volatile superstar.

Rooney, of course, was suspended for the first two games of Euro 2012 after suffering one of his far-too-familiar brain cramps in a qualifying game against Montenegro last October, an incident that cost him a red card in the match and a spot on the pitch in this tournament for clashes against France and Sweden.

"What happened was a mistake," Rooney said. "I understood that and apologised to the guy.

"I've paid the price and had to take it. But I've no doubts about my attitude and my temperament. I'm happy and I'm ready to play."

Rooney will be back in the English lineup for their Group D showdown against host Ukraine Tuesday at Donbass Arena.

England can assure itself of advancing to the final eight with a victory or a draw. But with almost the entire stadium -- make that the entire country -- in Ukraine's corner, the English can expect a hostile environment, especially since the hosts can also move on with a win.

"We've played a lot of teams in a lot of stadiums around the world and Europe and we've had to deal with that kind of atmosphere," Rooney said,

Whatever happens, it should be wonderful theatre.

mike.zeisberger@sunmedia.ca

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