Wayne and Coleen Rooney request privacy

Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen have appealed for privacy following claims about the footballer's personal life.

It was reported last weekend that Wayne had cheated on Coleen while she was pregnant with their son Kai.

The pair released a statement today which said that the "last six days have been extremely painful for us and for our families".

They also explained that they were unable "to resolve any issues in the current media glare" and were facing a "backdrop of so many inaccurate and intrusive stories".

The statement concluded: "We would therefore ask that the media now respects our privacy and the right of our family to discuss these matters in private."

Earlier today, Wayne's Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson refused to comment on the forward's alleged infidelities.