MANCHESTER UNITED STRIKER Wayne Rooney looks set to face another unwelcome off-the-pitch battle following a ruling yesterday in the London Court of Appeal.

At yesterday’s hearing, Lord Justice Alan Ward handed down a ruling which overturned a decision made by the Manchester Mercantile Court last June.

On that occasion, the court had ruled that Rooney’s former agent, Proactive Sports Management Ltd, had no legal grounds on which they could claim £4.3m of the star’s fortune. Proactive argued that they were entitled to 20% of the star’s sponsorship earnings as the result of an eight-year contract signed by the star in 2002.

At the time of the deal, Proactive was directed by founder Paul Stretford, Rooney’s current agent. However, following Stretford’s split from the company in October 2008, Rooney ceased making payments to the company.

This current legal action by Proactive rests on the argument that, as the deals were brokered by Stretford on Proactive’s behalf, the agency were entitled to payments for the duration of the contract.

Last June, the agency’s case was thrown out on the grounds that the excessive length of the contract meant that it was a “restriction of trade”, particularly in light of the official FA guidelines which suggest that such a contract should not last for longer than two years.

The Manchester United striker is expected to start alongside Darren Bent up front tomorrow night as England take on Denmark in a friendly in Copenhagen.