Rooney holds birthday for fiancee

Footballer Wayne Rooney held a low-key 18th birthday party last night for his fiancee Coleen McLoughlin.

The Everton striker was joined by team-mates and family and friends for the event at a hotel in Liverpool.

A team of bouncers formed a ring of steel around the event, which is to feature in a glossy celebrity magazine.

Among the guests were footballers Duncan Ferguson, Franny Jeffers, Richard Wright and Kevin Campbell.

Miss McLoughlin, in the same black and white dress that Kerry McFadden wore to this year’s Brit Awards, cut a two-tier birthday cake decorated with a marzipan model of herself surrounded by designer shopping bags.

Guests were treated to a buffet including cheese sandwiches, sausage rolls and curry and rice.

Rooney, wearing a dark suit and blue shirt, had decorated the function room at the Devonshire House Hotel with baby pictures of Miss McLoughlin as well as handmade posters of her dressed in her school uniform.

One of the party guests said: “Coleen and Wayne just wanted a party for their family and close friends.

“They could have held it somewhere flashy but they just wanted a good old fashioned party where everybody could let their hair down and have a good time.”

Around 200 guests were entertained by a DJ and a live band later in the evening.