Wayne Rooney has been given a slap on the wrist for breaking coronavirus lockdown rules by meeting Kyle Walker, just days after the Manchester City star breached isolation advice by holding a sex party with two prostitutes.
Former England captain Rooney and Man City full-back Walker were confronted by police when they were spotted walking with each other outside during the lockdown, which has been in place for over a week now to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
A source told The Sun that the meeting "was all totally innocent and not deliberate."
"Their kids go to the same school and spotted each other and understandably ran over. The families stopped to talk when, all of a sudden, the police swooped on them."
The Cheshire neighbors were caught walking on the Prestbury golf course with their families despite restrictions saying that you can only be in the company of those you are residing with.
The news comes just days after the players made their own headlines. Walker was caught hosting a lockdown sex party at his Cheshire flat with two escorts, the night of fun costing the 29-year-old a reported £2,200.
And this was just hours before he posted a message online saying that the public must do their bit and stay inside. After the news went public, the City star issued a groveling apology.
He said: "I want to take this opportunity to issue a public apology for the choices I made last week.
"I understand that my position as a professional footballer brings the responsibility of being a role model. As such, I want to apologize to my family, friends, football club, supporters and the public for letting them down."
Man City said that they will press ahead with disciplinary proceedings against the defender in the coming days.
Speaking to The Sun, one of the escorts, Louise McNamara, 21, said: "Kyle really should know better. On the one hand he's inviting strangers round to his house for sex and the next day he's lecturing everyone on the need to stay safe."
Also on rt.com 'Social distancing breach': Man City set to punish Kyle Walker over 'lockdown sex party' with call girlsMeanwhile, Rooney recently blasted Health Secretary Matt Hancock after the politician launched a scathing attack on Premier League footballers during a press conference.
Hancock had said: "Given the sacrifices many people are making, the first thing Premier League footballers can do is make a contribution."
Indeed, there have been calls for footballers to give up a percentage of their salary – but 34-year-old Rooney said it isn't as simple as that.
The Premier League had been in talks with the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) on Saturday to speak about wages cuts, a touted 30 percent being the figure, but players are concerned the money will go into the pockets of CEOs rather than be provided to those who need it, such as the NHS.
That was a point Rooney made in his Sunday Times column, where he said that footballers were “easy targets” who had been made “scapegoats.”
"Whatever way you look at it, we're easy targets. What gets lost is that half our wages get taken by the taxman. Money that goes to the government, money that is helping the NHS,” the Derby County midfielder wrote.
“If the Government approached me to help support nurses financially or buy ventilators I’d be proud to do so – as long as I knew where the money was going.”
He continued: “I’m in a position where I could give something up. Not every footballer is in the same position. Yet suddenly the whole profession has been put on the spot with a demand for 30 per cent pay cuts across the board. Why are footballers suddenly the scapegoats?
“How the past few days have played out is a disgrace. He (Hancock) was supposed to be giving the nation the latest on the biggest crisis we’ve faced in our lifetimes. Why was the pay of footballers even in his head? Was he desperate to divert attention from his Government’s handling of this pandemic?”
Piers Morgan, who's been an outspoken figure in condemning those who are not taking the pandemic seriously, even at one point saying it's the biggest threat to the UK since World War 2, spoke out about Walker's recent escapade.
Also on rt.com Russian footballer Smolov responds after claims he 'fled lockdown and returned from Spain for fiancee's 18th birthday'The Good Morning Britain presenter said on his show: “Footballers are posting rousing messages to the country saying stay indoors, don't do anything stupid, be a good citizen.
“Within literally a day [Walker] has hired two escorts to come to his home with his friend for a party. What could be more reckless than that?
“Like the chief medical officer [in Scotland] it's disgusting hypocrisy. It's unbelievably selfish and reckless.”
Morgan went on to deliver a stark warning to players who ignore social distancing rules, saying that they “bring a stain on the whole industry of football.”