Soccer star Wayne Rooney's lawyers today claimed victory in the latest round of a multi-million pound legal fight with a sports management firm.
Proactive, which used to represent Rooney and his wife Coleen, said it was owed commission payments and made a £4.3 million claim against the 26-year-old Manchester United and England striker.The Court of Appeal today delivered judgment after a hearing in London.
A solicitor representing Rooney said after today's ruling that judges had concluded that an "image rights agreement" between the star and Proactive was "unenforceable".
And Paul Hughes said Proactive had not succeeded in its claim for £4.3 million.
He said judges had ruled in Proactive's favour on one point and in Rooney's favour on other points.
"We are delighted," said Mr Hughes. "We have most certainly won."
Rooney claimed victory after the first round of litigation in July last year.
Judge Brendan Hegarty QC ruled that Rooney should pay £5,000, and his wife around £90,000, following a hearing at Manchester Mercantile Court.
Proactive appealed, during a hearing at the Court of Appeal in London in July this year, and asked three appeal judges to overturn the ruling.
Rooney argued that Judge Hegarty's ruling was correct and said the appeal should be dismissed.
The three appeal judges - Lady Justice Arden, Lord Justice Sullivan and Lord Justice Gross - announced their decision today.
Lady Justice Arden handed down the judgment in London today and said the appeal had been allowed "in part".
Mr Hughes said appeal judges had decided that Rooney did not need to pay Proactive any more than the £5,000 Judge Hegarty ordered.
He said they had concluded that Mrs Rooney should pay more than the £90,000 Judge Hegarty ordered - and that amount had yet to be assessed. He estimated that the additional amount would be in the tens of thousands.
Mr Hughes added: "They (Proactive) didn't get the £4.3 million they had claimed. They succeeded on one (legal) point."
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