MANCHESTER: Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been fined 200,000 pounds, the equivalent of a week’s wages by the Premier League club for a night out over the Christmas weekend, according to press reports on Monday.
Rooney was dropped by United ahead of their shock 3-2 home loss to Blackburn last Saturday, officially because of fitness concerns.
But several British newspapers reported that the star was punished for a below par training session on December 27 after a Boxing Day evening out with wife Coleen and team-mates Jonny Evans and Darron Gibson against team orders.
Rooney was fined appr-oximately 200,000 pounds ($310,000) with defender Evans and midfielder Gibson also fined, the reports said.
The trio were then ordered by manager Sir Alex Ferguson to come in on Wednesday – a day off – and train on their own. United play Newcastle next on Wednesday.
The episode has been widely reported and The Daily Telegraph said “Rooney’s ‘lethargic’ training leaves Ferguson enraged”.
The Guardian reported that “Rooney has no beef with Ferguson after costly dinner”, adding the England striker had reluctantly accepted his fine.
A club source told the BBC that Rooney had accepted his fine – according to reports he earns 225,000 pounds ($349,700) a week – and would return to the team on Wednesday.
Columnist Steven Howard wrote in The Sun that, although he may have turned 70 on Saturday, Ferguson proved he was still the boss with his swift handling of the affair.
“Some will suggest the arch disciplinarian cut off his nose to spite his face … and that Ferguson’s determination to show he still rules the roost at Old Trafford came back to haunt him,” said Howard.
“The counter argument is Rooney should never have put Ferguson in the position where he even contemplated having to leave out his best player.”
Rooney has been in fine form for United, scoring four goals in his last four appearances to help the team pull level with leaders Manchester City at the top of the table.
Although United lost on Saturday the defeat was not quite as calamitous as it might have been as City also went down to a surprise defeat on Sunday, losing 1-0 at Sunderland. At the halfway point in the season City and United have 45 points from 19 matches. (Agencies)