Fellaini battle with New Balance over boot quality 'demonstrates growing trend'

A £2m (€2.26m) legal battle featuring Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini and sportswear giant New Balance is a sign of the sporting times, according to a lawyer who specialises in commercial disputes.

The 30-year-old Belgian international says New Balance provided ''defective quality'' boots which had to be ''steamed and stretched'' by a United kit man before he could wear them.