Video: Wayne Rooney joins Ed Sheeran for awkward sing-along in a Manchester pub as United captain puts derby defeat behind him

Rooney appeared with Sheeran to perform a rendition of his song Lego House in front of a select few after playing a gig in Manchester

Ed Sheeran and Wayne Rooney perform at the Sir Ralph Abercromby pub near Deansgate (YouTube/Andy Price)

Ed Sheeran’s relationship with the Premier League has taken a new twist after the singer-songwriter was recorded playing at an after-party with a new singer – Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney.

While Sheeran strummed away on his guitar, Rooney tried his best to sing along to Sheeran’s Lego House in front of a small audience at the Sir Ralph Abercromby pub near Deansgate in Manchester.

Sheeran had just performed in front of 15,000 people last week – one of which was Rooney’s United team-mate Robin van Persie – and was chilling out with a select few that included the 28-year-old England striker.

Rooney appears nervously shuffling side-to-side as he sits on a ledge alongside Sheeran as others join in singing the chart-topper, but soon enough the professional footballer finds his confidence and begins to drown out his apparent backing singers.

Watch the video below...

Sheeran found himself at the centre of a controversy that saw referee Mike Clattenburg dropped from the Premier League card last weekend.

Rooney grimaces during the Manchester derby (Getty Images)

Clattenburg had broken protocol the week before after he left a match alone in order to drive to Newcastle to go to one of Sheeran’s concerts. Premier League referees are meant to travel to and from the game with their assistants to try and remove the possibility of interference from others in the footballing world as well as threatening behaviour from fans.

Clattenburg also admitted that he had a conversation on the phone with Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock having just officiated the Eagles’ 2-2 draw with West Brom, which is also prohibited by the Professional Game Match Officials Board that oversees match-day officials in the top flight.

Ed Sheeran performing at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam on Monday night (Getty Images)

However, there will be no such concern about Rooney’s visit to see Sheeran given that United don’t have a match until the weekend due to their failure to qualify for European football, and after a tight 1-0 defeat to rivals Manchester City on Sunday, Rooney and his team-mates were afforded some time off to catch one of Sheeran’s shows.

Clattenburg was dropped from officiating at the weekend after attending an Sheeran gig (Getty Images)

One onlooker at the pub told The Sun: “Everyone was singing along and laughing but he showed he can take a joke.

“It was like a normal group of mates messing about in a pub but I'd definitely advise him not give up the day job.”