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Rooney would have been locked up - police

Wayne Rooney will miss Manchester United's next two matches © PA Photos

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• Profile: Wayne Rooney

A senior police officer has said Wayne Rooney would have found himself in a police cell for the night if he showed as much aggression on a night out as he did on the football pitch.

The Manchester United striker will miss the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City after being slapped with a two-match ban for swearing into a television camera at West Ham.

Rooney claimed he had been made an example of, but superintendent Payne says he sees "a thousand Rooneys" on Friday and Saturday nights.

"If Rooney had behaved like that in Wolverhampton on Saturday night, I would have expected my officers to lock him up," he wrote on his blog. "People in positions of influence have an obligation to behave like human beings. It is not a lot to ask.

"I have seen a thousand Rooneys, and I am sure most police officers will have - the same aggressive stance, the bulging eyes, the foul-mouthed rant, fists clenched, surrounded by his mates, all cheering him on."

Superintendent Payne, who is responsible for managing response to crime and operations in Wolverhampton says Rooney's apology cannot undo the damage already caused by his "juvenile rant".

"What he won't be able to do is alter the impression that he has left in the eyes of the watching youngsters," he added. "It is OK to insult and abuse, it is OK to react with ridiculous aggression to perceived slights or provocation, it is excusable because it is the heat of the moment.

"My officers will face more Rooneys over the weekend, no doubt somebody will be injured in some meaningless fight. An officer will have to go and tell a parent that their son or daughter is in hospital as a result."

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