Capello stands by his man

Soccer:England coach Fabio Capello has confirmed Wayne Rooney will play in tomorrow's Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland despite recent allegations about the striker's private life.

Rooney was one of England’s best performers in their 4-0 victory over Bulgaria on Friday night, however, his place in the team in Basle had come under question after lurid claims in two Sunday newspapers.

The Manchester United striker travelled with the team to Switzerland, however, and Capello said he was confident the player was in the right state of mind to take his place tomorrow night.

“Yes he will play. During training he was really good and I spoke with him and he’s happy to play,” Capello said. “I know the players when they want to play — that is really important. Against Bulgaria he was really, really good on the pitch.

“He will also be in a good situation tomorrow. I hope the performance of Rooney tomorrow will be the same as at Wembley. We are focused on the game, not about the private life of the players. We are here to play this game and train very well.”

Steven Gerrard said he expected Rooney to put the off-field matter to one side as England look to begin their qualification campaign with back-to-back wins.

“Yeah he’s got an issue off the pitch put I don’t think that will stop him from playing well,” the England captain said. “I spoke with him today at lunchtime and in training and Wayne’s been fine. He’s looking forward to the game and playing well.

“I think football can do that sometimes (help you focus) if you’ve got an issue off the field. Once the game starts Wayne will be focused on the field and getting the three points.

“Wayne’s a big character. You expect big performances from Wayne every time he steps on the pitch. You saw that against Bulgaria. I expect another big performance from Wayne.”

Nike, meanwhile, has insisted it will stick with the Manchester United striker despite the weekend's allegations. Rooney's lucrative deals with Nike, EA Sports and Coca-Cola have helped boost his personal fortune to €40 million, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

"We have worked with Wayne for seven years and he continues to be a Nike athlete," a spokesman for Nike said. "This is a private matter for Wayne and his family and we have no further comment to make at this time."

Nike also stood by golfer Tiger Woods as the world number one admitted a string of affairs which led to the breakdown of his marriage.Coca-Cola declined to comment on their own business relationship with Rooney, with a spokesman for the company saying: "This is a private matter for Wayne and his family."