Striker Rooney nets £5m book deal

Rooney said his favourite book was Muhammad Ali's biography

Footballer Wayne Rooney has signed one of the biggest sports book deals in publishing history.

The England and Manchester United striker, 20, has signed a £5m five-book deal with publisher HarperCollins.

The first volume of Rooney's autobiography - up to and including this year's World Cup - is due to hit bookshelves in July.

The follow-up books - over the next 12 years - will cover the rest of Rooney's playing career.

It will be good for people to see the other side of me Wayne Rooney

Rooney said the books will contain some "surprises".

"I'm excited about this deal, it's a big thing for me. Hopefully, there will be lots of things to read about," he said.

"I'll be talking about my life in football and other things as well. There will be a few surprises in there.

"It's something I wanted to do. I've been playing football now for just under four years and I think it will be good for people to see the other side of me and hear things from me for once.

"When they talk to me, people say, 'I didn't expect you to be how you are.'

"Hopefully I can put that across to people. They think I'm a different person to what I am. I'm just a normal young lad who plays football."

Records

David Beckham currently holds the record for the UK's best-selling sporting autobiography.

His life story, My Side, has sold more than 500,000 copies, but Rooney admitted he had not read it.

HarperCollins chief executive Victoria Barnsley said: "As a footballer, Wayne Rooney has broken records.

"I think this book deal probably breaks another. I can't think of any book deal like it."