England duo out of skills challenge

WAYNE Rooney and Steven Gerrard have withdrawn from a lucrative skills showcase on the grounds that their involvement would be “inappropriate” in light of England’s World Cup performance.

The A:3K Football event at London’s O2 Arena scheduled for July 17 has been postponed until next summer because of their decision to pull out.

The England duo were due to compete in a series of head-to-head challenges billed as a “gladiatorial skills-based challenge” alongside Cesc Fabregas, Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and David Villa.