• Premier League

Rooney and Van Gaal respond to 'knockout' video

ESPN staff
March 15, 2015
Wayne Rooney celebrated Manchester United's third goal by pretending to be knocked out © Getty Images
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Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal and striker Wayne Rooney tried to dismiss questions regarding a video that appears to show the striker being knocked out by former team-mate Phil Bardsley.

The Sun on Sunday got their hands on the footage which shows Rooney and Bardsley sparring for a minute or so in the United captain's kitchen, before the now-Stoke left-back catches the forward with a left-hand jab, seemingly leaving him laid out on the floor.

Rooney scored United's third goal in the 3-0 demolition of Tottenham on Sunday and, in response, celebrated his strike by pretending to be knocked out in front of the Old Trafford crowd.

However, both the England international and manager Van Gaal offered prickly responses when pushed on the topic during their respective post-match interviews with Sky Sports.

"That's the world we live in today," Rooney said. "It's in my own home, it's not public, it's what friends do - they mess around in the house.

"It was a couple of mates in a private house and somehow it's managed to get on the front page of a national newspaper.

"I've just been focused on the game, it's more interesting for other people rather than for me. You've seen today, I've done a professional job and helped my team win 3-0."

Van Gaal later added: "In what [sort of] a world [do] we live [in] that we are talking about such a thing. A newspaper paid a lot for a video and I am answering questions about that.

"What is this world? Twisted? I don't want to answer questions about such things."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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