Williams 'plans new album for 2009'

Robbie Williams is to release a new album in 2009, according to his manager Tim Clark.

The popstar had gone on strike at the start of the year due to his unhappiness with the new owners of his record company EMI.

However, Clark confirmed to Newsbeat that Williams's strike is now over and a new record is forthcoming: "I would certainly hope that a new album will be coming next year. There are never any guarantees but that's what we would hope."

Clark said that the singer is currently hard at work writing new material: "I was with Robbie last week. He was at home and he was writing songs and he played some of them to us.

"He's in very fine spirits, in very fine form and I think what he's doing sounds really wonderful."

Clark added that rumours of Williams writing an album inspired by his interest in the extra-terrestrial were "exaggerated in the press, as if that is anything new".