Rooney made to pay for Moyes slur

Everton FC manager David Moyes has accepted damages and an apology from Wayne Rooney over comments the England striker made in his autobiography.

The undisclosed sum is being paid to Moyes by Rooney, co-author Hunter Davies and publisher HarperCollins, a judge in London heard.

After the brief hearing, Moyes said in a statement: "I am glad that these issues have now been resolved and that my name has been fully cleared in this matter. Anyone who knows me well would, I hope, regard me as a man of honour and integrity.

I was disappointed and wanted people to know that what had been written was completely untrue. I felt that I had no choice but to take action for a full apology and damages.

"Having accepted these, I do not intend to make any financial gain from this and shall give that to the Everton Former Players Foundation.

"All of the above said, we have now moved on and I wish Wayne and his family all the best for the future both on the field and off it."

It is understood to have been the first time that a Premiership manager has sued one of his former players for libel.

Moyes's Solicitor Edward Parladorio told Mr Justice Eady that in the autobiography, Wayne Rooney - My Story So Far, his client was accused of "a serious breach of trust towards a young player under his management".

He said Moyes was accused of leaking the contents of a private and confidential conversation, during which the star stated his intention to leave Everton, to a local newspaper.

Mr Parladorio told the court that the allegation was "wholly untrue".

Mr Parladorio told the judge that Moyes had been the manager of Everton since February 2002.

"When he joined the club, Mr Rooney was a 15-year-old rising star in the club's Youth Team," he said.

"For the next three years Mr Moyes managed Mr Rooney as a regular first team player for Everton until, in 2004, Mr Rooney left the club to go to Manchester United FC."

The autobiography, which was published in July 2006, "referred to a private meeting with Mr Moyes where Mr Rooney stated his intention to leave Everton and the city of Liverpool by reason of intense press coverage of his personal life and its effects on Mr Rooney and his fiancee, Coleen McLoughlin".

Mr Parladorio added: "Mr Moyes was accused in the book of immediately leaking the contents of that private and confidential conversation to the Liverpool Echo, with the result that an account of the meeting appeared in the next day's issue."

He told the judge: "Mr Moyes was not the source, direct or indirect, of anything in the article. There was no breach of confidence or betrayal of trust by Mr Moyes."

The lawyer added: "Happily, Mr Rooney, Mr Davies and HarperCollins Publishing Limited appear here today by their solicitor to acknowledge that they were mistaken and publicly withdraw the allegation and apologise.

"The defendants have also agreed to pay Mr Moyes a substantial sum in damages and his legal costs."

Sarah Toolan, solicitor for the defendants, told the judge that she confirmed everything Mr Parladorio had said.

"All defendants accept that the allegation to which my friend has referred was untrue and sincerely apologise to Mr Moyes for the distress and embarrassment caused."

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