Denis Irwin sympathies with stars of today

Technology has placed Premier League stars like Wayne Rooney under a greater scrutiny than their predecessors ever experienced, admits former Manchester United full-back Denis Irwin.

The Sun published footage at the weekend of Rooney apparently being knocked out in a sparring session with former United team-mate Phil Bardsley in the kitchen of his Cheshire mansion.

The England forward then performed a light-hearted re-enactment of the incident after scoring for United against Tottenham on Sunday and after the match admitted his surprise that something which had happened in the privacy of his own home had become public knowledge.