Coleen Rooney set to give evidence in libel case brought by Rebekah Vardy

Coleen Rooney is set to give evidence (James Manning/PA)

Coleen Rooney is expected to start her evidence in the high-profile libel claim brought by fellow footballer’s wife Rebekah Vardy at the High Court.

On the fourth day of the trial on Friday, Mrs Vardy is due to finish her evidence, with Mrs Rooney then taking her place in the witness box in Court 13 of the Royal Courts of Justice.

Mrs Vardy has been giving evidence for around 10 hours, at times becoming emotional on Wednesday and Thursday.

Rebekah Vardy leaves the Royal Courts Of Justice (James Manning/PA)

The case comes after a viral social media post in October 2019, where Mrs Rooney, 36, said she had carried out a “sting operation” and accused Mrs Vardy, 40, of leaking “false stories” about her private life to the press.

Mrs Vardy, who is married to Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, denies leaking stories to the media and is suing her fellow footballer’s wife for libel, while Mrs Rooney is defending the claim on the basis her post was “substantially true” and in the public interest.

The fake stories Mrs Rooney planted on her Instagram during the sting operation featured her travelling to Mexico for a “gender selection” procedure, her planning to return to TV, and the basement flooding at her home.

In the post on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, she wrote: “I have saved and screenshotted all the original stories which clearly show just one person has viewed them.

“It’s ………. Rebekah Vardy’s account.”