Soccer
Rooney a big cheat - report
2010-09-05 17:01
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Watford - England striker Wayne Rooney will travel to Switzerland as planned for the team's European Championship qualifier, despite reports about his private life being splashed across British tabloids.
Rooney trained as normal with his England teammates on Sunday morning - hours after the News of the World and Sunday Mirror alleged that the Manchester United player cheated repeatedly on his then-pregnant wife last year with a prostitute.
According to the Sunday Mirror, the affair with 21-year-old Jenny Thompson began last June and their last meeting in Manchester was in October, a month before Rooney's wife Coleen gave birth to their first son Kai.
The Rooneys, who married in 2008, have cultivated their fame to become one of Britain's leading celebrity couples. Coleen has her own TV series and magazine column and is considered a fashion icon.
There was no comment on the allegations from the Football Association or Manchester United, but the Premier League club is willing to provide support to Rooney.
The FA insisted that it is "business as usual" and that Rooney would remain at the team hotel, before flying with the rest of the squad to Switzerland on Monday for Tuesday night's qualifier.
"He did the full session (on Sunday morning)," midfielder James Milner told reporters at the team hotel near London. "We had our full training session and back to football is what we're here to do."
Rooney played a part in all four goals on Friday night as England began its Euro 2012 qualification campaign with a 4-0 victory over Bulgaria at Wembley.
"He's a top, top player and we want to put out the strongest team possible," Milner said.
The 24-year-old Rooney hasn't scored for England since last September and endured a lackluster World Cup as England was eliminated in the second round.
England fans have turned on the underperforming players since the South Africa letdown and Rooney was booed at times during Friday's match.
"It's important we go out and win football matches and control ourselves on the field and off the field as best we can," Milner said. "Things are always said in the paper, good things, bad things, about the England team when results are going well and when they're not going well.
"You have highs, you have lows, and it's down to us to make sure only thing that matters is on the field, come together and make sure we get the result."
This is the second time this year that England coach Fabio Capello has had to deal with the fallout of lurid allegations against one of his players.
Capello stripped John Terry of the captaincy in February after newspaper allegations that the defender had an affair with England teammate Wayne Bridge's former partner.
Capello complained that Terry was not setting "an example for the young people - for the children and the fans."
After that scandal, Capello warned the players that their England futures would be in jeopardy if their conduct off the pitch landed them in the media spotlight.
Asked at the time what would happen to players who stepped out of line after he drew up a new code of conduct, Capello said: "The players have to understand what I want if you want to stay with me."
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