Hayden Panettiere denies dating Mark Sanchez

Hayden Panettiere has denied that she is dating New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez.

The Scream 4 actress was spotted with Sanchez and another couple dining at fast food restaurant In-N-Out Burger this week, sparking speculation that the two were romantically involved.

However, Panettiere rubbished any suggestion that she and the NFL player are anything more than platonic friends, insisting to US Weekly that their relationship grew out of her admiration for the New York Jets.

"I swear I'm not dating him at all. Honestly. I'm a huge Jets fan and became very good friends with him and his buddies," the 21-year-old star said.

"There's genuinely, absolutely nothing going on. I've always been that girl who has a lot of dude friends. I'm into sports so we have a lot in common, but no, definitely 100% not dating."

Panettiere went on to say that she's learning to cope with the media's scrutiny of her love life, adding: "Every person that I stand next to in this industry is a guy I'm going to be linked to - that's just inevitably the way it goes.

"When it's a long-term friendship like that, sometimes it starts getting a little bit frustrating for certain people. You don't want to put fuel into the fire but you don't want to stop living your life and doing what you want to do."

The actress recently split from professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko, citing the difficulties of a long-distance relationship as the reason for their separation.

> Hayden Panettiere seeks out 'dark roles'

Watch the Scream 4 trailer below: