Thaindian News

London, July 16(ANI): England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has defeated attempts by his former sports management firm, Proactive, to sue him for 4.3 million pounds. Rooney was accused of withholding commission on multi-million pound deals brokered by Proactive, who used to represent him, The Telegraph reports.

Football agent Paul Stretford had signed the 24-year-old in 2002, but he took the striker along when he left Proactive in 2008.

The case followed Stretford’s acrimonious departure, where Proactive claimed that they should be paid commission of 20 percent on Rooney’s future deals.

However, Manchester Mercantile Court Judge Hegarty ruled that Proactive was only entitled to “restitution remedy” amounting to roughly 90,000 pounds.

Rooney was not present in the court, but in a statement released on his behalf admitted his satisfaction with the outcome.

“I am delighted to have won this case. Coleen and I have always been happy to pay all commissions due to the people who were owed them, but these sums were a joke and we felt they were just an attempt to exploit us,” Rooney said.

“Fortunately the judge has knocked back their massively over-inflated claims and we are happy to pay the very small sum awarded,” he added.

The agent also acts for Rooney’s wife Coleen, whose celebrity career took off as her husband became an England regular following his 20 million pound transfer to Manchester United in 2004.

Stretford secured her the TV show Real Women, a column in Closer magazine and sponsorship deals with Asda and Diet Coke. (ANI)