By Sam Wallace

Published: 10 April 2006

Wayne Rooney's gambling debts have threatened a dispute that goes
right to the heart of the England team after it emerged yesterday
that he could face a legal battle with a business associate of
Michael Owen who has been blamed for allowing the striker to run up
huge losses.

The disclosure that the Manchester United forward owes £700,000 to
Stephen Smith, who manages Owen's property portfolio, has been
queried by sources close to the striker although what is not in doubt
is that the 20-year-old has run up daunting debts betting with Smith.
Rooney's advisers are now attempting to establish how much money
their client owes Smith and there have already been meetings between
lawyers from both sides.

After yesterday's victory over Arsenal, Rooney was asked whether
gambling debts had ever affected his performances. He said: "Look at
them. You can answer that yourself."

The relationship between Owen and Rooney, who will lead England's
attack in Germany next summer, is at the centre of the dispute and
although they are understood not to have fallen out over the debts,
there is disquiet at the way in which Rooney has been treated by his
more senior colleague. Owen, a keen racehorse breeder, introduced
Smith to his England team-mates - he has become the team's unofficial
bookmaker - which has infuriated those closest to Rooney.

Despite his importance to the team, Rooney remains one of the
youngest members of a squad who is known for being especially
generous with the part of his £60,000-a-week salary that is not
invested for his future. While betting is a popular pastime for the
England squad, there is alarm at how easily Rooney was allowed to
spend thousands of pounds betting on horses, greyhounds and football
matches in which he was not involved.

While players are banned from betting on games in which they play,
the England team and officials will have to sign a pledge before the
World Cup finals that they will not gamble on any match in the
tournament. The Football Association can do nothing to prevent
players gambling in their own time but Sven Goran Eriksson will speak
to Rooney and Owen ahead of the tournament to make sure there are no
problems between them.

The most immediate question is the size of the debt which Rooney's
side is trying to establish. He has told his agent, Paul Stretford,
that the debts were run up in the six months to Christmas but he only
disclosed them to his advisers around two months ago when Smith
became more insistent that he pay up.

Stretford's Proactive company has asked to see records of its
client's bets and the odds that were on offer. However, it is
understood that the bets were taken on such an informal basis, mainly
over the telephone and by text message, that there are few records of
Rooney's betting, much less the odds he was offered. A spokesman for
Proactive refused to comment.

There are also doubts over whether Smith was licensed to take bets,
although he has retrospectively applied for one. Sir Alex Ferguson
and United officials have been made aware of the situation and
Ferguson dismissed the reports as "absolute rubbish".

"We have a media who want to examine every part of his life. We had
it with George Best, Paul Gascoigne and David Beckham - they will
search for something for headlines."

Wayne Rooney's gambling debts have threatened a dispute that goes
right to the heart of the England team after it emerged yesterday
that he could face a legal battle with a business associate of
Michael Owen who has been blamed for allowing the striker to run up
huge losses.

The disclosure that the Manchester United forward owes £700,000 to
Stephen Smith, who manages Owen's property portfolio, has been
queried by sources close to the striker although what is not in doubt
is that the 20-year-old has run up daunting debts betting with Smith.
Rooney's advisers are now attempting to establish how much money
their client owes Smith and there have already been meetings between
lawyers from both sides.

After yesterday's victory over Arsenal, Rooney was asked whether
gambling debts had ever affected his performances. He said: "Look at
them. You can answer that yourself."

The relationship between Owen and Rooney, who will lead England's
attack in Germany next summer, is at the centre of the dispute and
although they are understood not to have fallen out over the debts,
there is disquiet at the way in which Rooney has been treated by his
more senior colleague. Owen, a keen racehorse breeder, introduced
Smith to his England team-mates - he has become the team's unofficial
bookmaker - which has infuriated those closest to Rooney.

Despite his importance to the team, Rooney remains one of the
youngest members of a squad who is known for being especially
generous with the part of his £60,000-a-week salary that is not
invested for his future. While betting is a popular pastime for the
England squad, there is alarm at how easily Rooney was allowed to
spend thousands of pounds betting on horses, greyhounds and football
matches in which he was not involved.
While players are banned from betting on games in which they play,
the England team and officials will have to sign a pledge before the
World Cup finals that they will not gamble on any match in the
tournament. The Football Association can do nothing to prevent
players gambling in their own time but Sven Goran Eriksson will speak
to Rooney and Owen ahead of the tournament to make sure there are no
problems between them.

The most immediate question is the size of the debt which Rooney's
side is trying to establish. He has told his agent, Paul Stretford,
that the debts were run up in the six months to Christmas but he only
disclosed them to his advisers around two months ago when Smith
became more insistent that he pay up.

Stretford's Proactive company has asked to see records of its
client's bets and the odds that were on offer. However, it is
understood that the bets were taken on such an informal basis, mainly
over the telephone and by text message, that there are few records of
Rooney's betting, much less the odds he was offered. A spokesman for
Proactive refused to comment.

There are also doubts over whether Smith was licensed to take bets,
although he has retrospectively applied for one. Sir Alex Ferguson
and United officials have been made aware of the situation and
Ferguson dismissed the reports as "absolute rubbish".

"We have a media who want to examine every part of his life. We had
it with George Best, Paul Gascoigne and David Beckham - they will
search for something for headlines."