Sir Alex Ferguson has issued Wayne Rooney a spine-chilling ultimatum, according to this morning’s Sun: Step out of line one more time and you’ve had it.
The paper claims that Fergie “read the Riot Act” to Rooney after dropping him for this weekend’s match against Everton following a week of tabloid allegations about all sorts of post-watershed shenanigans with, ahem, ladies of ill repute.
The paper stops short of saying what the irascible Scot’s ultimate sanction might be if the England striker fails to heed his warning, but it’s probably safe to say that the Old Trafford Purchasing Department is on standby to order several new boxes of teacups for the Red Devils’ dressing room.
Meanwhile, the Daily Star claims Rooney’s greatest fear is that he would be parted from son Kai should he split up with wife Colleen.
The paper quotes the inevitable unnamed sources who claim Rooney has been “plunged into despair” and that “he is now terrified he could lose his wife and son after his stupid behaviour”.
The Star also claims that, in what is yet another echo of Tiger Woods’s fall from grace, Coca Cola are about to pull the plug on Rooney’s £600,000-a-year sponsorship deal.
American executives at the Atlanta-based soft drinks giant had already been appalled by the recent pictures of the Scouser smoking and urinating in the street, and the revelations over visits to prostitutes could be the final straw.
As messy as Rooney’s life has become in the last week or so he still has some way to go before he equals Marlon King‘s rap sheet – but the 30-year-old striker is set for a return to professional football with Coventry two months after being released from prison following a conviction for sexual assault.
The Daily Mirror reports that Sky Blues manager Aidy Boothroyd has admitted the signing of the 30-year-old is “inevitable”.
And finally David Beckham has been talking about his England future after lining up for LA Galaxy at the weekend for the first time in six months.
Becks is confident that he is still in the frame following private conversations with Fabio Capello.
“If I’m fit then I’m sure the manager will consider me,” said the 35-year-old while admitting that he is still well short of match fitness despite a performance manager Bruce Arena described as “inspirational”.
“I’ve never been out of the game for such a long time and after being out there 10 minutes I was dying,” said Beckham.
Eurosport
