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Wayne Rooney was acting in boxing knock out video, says Phil Bardsley's wife Tanya

Tanya Bardsley said the Sun on Sunday video did not show the Manchester United captain 'jumping straight back up', but admitted it was a clever edit

Daisy Wyatt
Sunday 15 March 2015 15:28 GMT
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Rooney applauds the United support
Rooney applauds the United support (Getty Images)

Phil Bardsley and Wayne Rooney were just clowning around after all, Bardsley’s wife Tanya has confirmed.

The Real Housewives of Cheshire reality TV star has spoken out after a video emerged online showing the two players appearing to spar in Rooney’s kitchen, with the Stoke City defender knocking out the England captain in Rooney’s home in Cheshire.

The Sun on Sunday clip ended with Rooney lying prostrate on the floor as onlookers can be heard laughing in the background.

After claims by the newspaper that the Manchester United captain “risked his whole career” by playing with his former teammate, Tanya Bardsley has spoken about the incident, saying Rooney was acting when he fell to the floor.

She wrote on Twitter: “Seen the sun, 2 mates havin [sic] a laugh video doesn’t show Wayne jumping straight up and laughing with Phil #cleveredit.”

Rooney, who leads United out at Old Trafford this afternoon for their Premier League match against Tottenham, has yet to confirm what went on in the video footage.

Rooney has spoken of his love for boxing in the past. He started boxing when he was in the youth team at Everton and revealed last November he would have considered taking the sport up professionally if he had not made it as a footballer.

In 2008, Rooney said: “I've always loved watching boxing and I went boxing training for about three or four years when I was younger. It's a sport I've always been involved in.

“I was doing both boxing and football training at one stage when I was about 15. But Everton who I was with at the time, said I had to concentrate on one of them and I opted for football.”

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