A video of Wayne Rooney getting knocked out by Phil Bardsley his his kitchen did the rounds on the internet a few months. Rooney has conceded that he still loves boxing but that Manchester United don’t allow him to spar.

It’s difficult to box now so when I get a chance, when I’m coming back from injury or during the summer when I’m off, I always try and do a bit which is great to keep me fit. I don’t spar – I don’t think United would like that. There was a bit of me on the internet doing some but I try not to do it.

My uncle runs a gym in Liverpool I used to go there from the age of 9 until I was 15. It was great, I really enjoyed it, but Everton made me stop and I had to choose between boxing and football but I think I made the right decision. I used to go round to different gyms sparring which I really liked. It was quite easy in the end to choose football because that’s what I always wanted to do but I really missed going to the gym because I used to go every Monday, Wednesday and Friday after football.