Doha, Dec 11 (IANS): Legendary footballers Wayne Rooney backed England after their quarterfinal loss to France and said the game deserved to go into extra time.

France reached the FIFA World Cup semifinal, where they will face Morocco.

Speaking during the Viacom18 Sports' FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 presentation, Rooney said that England has a young squad and should look ahead.

"It was always going to be a tight game. England showed that they are a very good team. They certainly deserved to take it to extra time," said Rooney.

He added, "France have that know-how of winning the tournament and getting results maybe, when they are not at their best. So, it is a shame, for some moments, certainly for Harry Kane. He has been a leader for so many years. He will be feeling really down tonight. But we can be proud of this England team. They gave everyone hope. They still have a really young squad and should look forward to the next tournament."