Rooney’s former agents are suing the Manchester United striker and his wife Coleen for more than £4million in unpaid commission. However, far from casting a cloud over Rooney’s future, the details about his gilded lifestyle that will be up for discussion at Manchester Mercantile Court over the next three weeks will only cement his status as one of the best and most marketable players on the planet.
An eye opening breakdown after the jump….
A breakdown of Rooney’s £35m fortune has been revealed in documents presented in court as part of a long-running dispute with the James Grant Group, who are claiming for loss of earnings since the player’s adviser Paul Stretford left to set up his own company in 2008.
The group have a number of high-profile clients, including Simon Cowell and Ant and Dec.
The documents confirm that Rooney earns a basic salary of £90,000 a week at Old Trafford, although that figure is set to rise beyond the £150,000-a-week mark when he is handed a new deal by his club this summer.
He also receives a staggering £760,000 a month for his image rights, £1m a year from a sponsorship deal with Nike and £118,689 every six months from EA Sports.
Add to that £3.55m from a five-book contract plus £600,000 a year from a four-year deal with Coca-Cola – plus his wife’s earnings from OK! magazine and TV show Coleen’s Real Women – and it is easy to see how the couple can afford a £3.5m mansion in the Cheshire countryside and a fleet of luxury cars.
It also emphasises that, at the age of 24, Rooney is a player at the peak of his powers both on and off the pitch, having justified all the hype and expectation when he first exploded on to the scene as a raw 16-year-old at Everton.
United have harnessed the potential, the boundless enthusiasm and competitive edge and turned him into a truly world-class player.
Handing him a central striking role and the task of replacing Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal output was not a bad idea either. Rooney is in the form of his life and on course for his best season, with 22 goals so far. He has become a talisman for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side and an unstoppable force for his opponents.
He scored all four as United beat Hull 4-0, a late winner to book a place in the Carling Cup final at the expense of Manchester City and his 100th Premier League goal in a 3-1 win at Arsenal on Sunday.
No wonder United are anxious to tie him to a new deal and ward off any more unwanted advances from Real Madrid.
