Wagatha Christie trial latest LIVE: Wayne Rooney told Jamie Vardy to ‘calm down wife’ at 2016 Euros

Wayne Rooney gave evidence amid the ongoing Wagatha Christie libel battle between his wife Coleen and Rebekah Vardy as it enters its sixth day.

The former England striker, 36, revealed he was asked by then England manager Roy Hodgson to speak to his teammate Jamie Vardy to ask his wife to “calm down” during the Euros 2016, the High Court heard.

He told the courtroom: “They asked me, as captain, would I be able to speak to Mr Vardy on issues regarding his wife and I think we all knew that it was an awkward subject.

“I’d need to speak to Mr Vardy and ask him to speak to his wife and ask him to ask his wife to calm down.

“It was an awkward situation for me and I’m sure it was an awkward situation for Mr Vardy, but I felt it was in the best interests of the team,” he added.

However later outside court Mr Vardy released a statement saying: “Wayne is talking nonsense.

“He must be confused because he never spoke to me about issues concerning Becky’s media work at Euro 2016.”

The case centres on a viral social media post sent by Coleen Rooney in October 2019, in which she revealed she had carried out a “sting operation” and accused Rebekah Vardy, 40, of leaking “false stories” about her private life to the press.

The trial is due to continue on Thursday.

Pictured: Rebekah Vardy arrives at court with footballer husband Jamie

10:01 , Daniel Keane

Jamie Vardy has appeared alongside wife Rebekah Vardy at court for the first time.

The Leicester striker has not yet attended the Royal Courts of Justice with his wife, who is suing Coleen Rooney for libel.

Wayne Rooney, husband of Coleen, has attended court everyday and is due to give evidence today.

Wayne Rooney and Coleen arrive at court

10:08 , Daniel Keane

Wayne Rooney’s cousin to testify

10:27 , Daniel Keane

Claire Rooney – Wayne Rooney’s cousin – has entered the witness box in Court 13 of the Royal Courts of Justice to start her evidence in the “Wagatha Christie” libel trial.

Rooney ‘to be questioned about allegation that he spoke to Jamie Vardy over wife’s behaviour'

11:05 , Daniel Keane

Wayne Rooney is also expected to be questioned about an allegation he had to speak to Vardy about his wife’s behaviour at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, writes Tristan Kirk.

It has been suggested she orchestrated a photo of WAGs enjoying a night out in St Petersburg, and faces claims she was “fame hungry”.

In her evidence, Vardy said her husband was “angry” at the news story suggesting Rooney had given them a ticking-off, insisting: “That conversation never took place”.

She told the court: “I had a conversation with Mr Rooney on FaceTime about it as well.

“I asked him about it and he basically said it was a load of bollocks.”

Wayne Rooney’s cousin Claire was the first witness called on Tuesday, telling the court she is one of Coleen Rooney’s chosen followers to her private Instagram feed.

She said she knew that Rooney suspected a friend was leaking stories to The Sun newspaper, but said they did not speak about it.

WAGs Rooney and Vardy are at loggerheads in the libel trial – dubbed ‘Wagatha Christie’ over Rooney’s bombshell October 2019 accusation that Vardy had been behind the leaks.

Coleen finished her evidence yesterday, admitting she has “hated every minute” of the two-and-a-half year saga and insisting she never revelled in the amateur sleuth tag.

Rooney’s agent recalls ‘deal between Vardy and her agent’

11:50 , Daniel Keane

Paul Stretford was questioned about a passage in his witness statement where he claimed he was told there were rumours Mrs Vardy was going to be “severing ties” with her agent Caroline Watt in return for her “publicly taking the blame for having leaked Coleen’s Instagram stories”.

He said in his written evidence: “I believe, somewhere between 11th & 15th October, 2019, I cannot be more precise, I received a call from Ian Monk at Monk PR.

“Ian told me that he had been informed that a note had been sent round to all newsdesks that Rebekah Vardy had sacked Caroline Watt as her agent and that any and all updates or information about this matter would be coming from Kingsley Napley.

“Subsequently, I recall having a discussion with Ian Monk and it was my understanding that there were rumours circulating at the time that Rebekah Vardy was going to be severing ties with Caroline Watt albeit she would look after Caroline Watt behind the scenes in return for Caroline Watt publicly taking the blame for having leaked Coleen’s Instagram stories and posts to The Sun.”

Questioned by Mrs Vardy’s barrister Hugh Tomlinson QC, the barrister said: “You know that that didn’t happen.”

Mr Stetford claimed he was “repeating the words” he was told by Mr Monk, adding of that section of his statement: “I put it in to complete the position immediately post the October 9 reveal and feel it’s relevant to that.”

Wayne Rooney enters witness box

11:53 , Daniel Keane

Wayne Rooney has entered the witness box in Court 13 of the Royal Courts of Justice to start his evidence in the “Wagatha Christie” libel trial.

England manager ‘asked Rooney to speak to Jamie Vardy about Rebekah’

12:04 , Daniel Keane

Wayne Rooney was asked by then England manager Roy Hodgson to speak to fellow footballer Jamie Vardy to ask his wife to “calm down” during the Euro 2016 tournament, the High Court heard.

Mr Rooney, giving evidence from the witness box, told the court that he had been asked to speak to Mr Vardy by Mr Hodgson and his then assistant manager Gary Neville.

He said: “They asked me, as captain, would I be able to speak to Mr Vardy on issues regarding his wife and I think we all knew that it was an awkward subject.

“I’d need to speak to Mr Vardy and ask him to speak to his wife and ask him to say to ask his wife to calm down.”

Rooney: Negative media coverage caused ‘awkward situation’ in England camp

12:11 , Daniel Keane

Hugh Tomlinson QC, for Mrs Vardy, said: “Ask his wife to calm down? She wasn’t dancing on tables.”

Wayne Rooney replied: “No, she wasn’t, as far as I’m aware.”

Mr Rooney said there had been negative media coverage.

He said: “I was asked to speak to Mr Vardy by the England manager and I carried out that instruction.

“It was an awkward situation for me and I’m sure it was an awkward situation for Mr Vardy, but I felt it was in the best interests of the team.”

‘I have never spoken to a Sun journalist’, says Rooney

12:15 , Daniel Keane

Mr Rooney told the court that he recalled that Mrs Vardy was “almost there with the team” during “down time” at the 2016 Euros, with her allegedly being on FaceTime with her husband throughout the tournament.

He said he “100%” spoke to Mr Vardy but did not know if Mr Vardy then spoke to his wife.

“It wasn’t my place to speak to Mrs Vardy,” Mr Rooney said.

Under questioning from Mr Tomlinson, Mr Rooney said he did not remember him and Mr Vardy speaking to a Sun journalist.

“As England captain I would always try and protect the players in public as much as I could,” Mr Rooney said.

He later added: “Everyone knows the history between Liverpudlians and The Sun newspaper, I never spoken to a Sun journalist on a personal level.”

Rooney: I was not friends with Jamie Vardy

12:24 , Daniel Keane

Asked if it was a matter of concern that his wife was claiming stories were being leaked about her and their family, Wayne Rooney replied: “It’s always a matter of concern when it involves your family. There’s information that my wife said had been leaked.”

He added that other stories were inaccurate.

“It was something that me and my wife have had to deal with since we were 16.

“I have learned how to deal with that and not let it have much impact on my way of thinking.”

Mr Rooney was later asked why he had not brought his wife’s concerns up with Jamie Vardy.

He replied: “Jamie was a team-mate for the national team, he’s not someone I have ever particularly been friends with on a social level.”

‘I didn’t want to get involved’, says Wayne Rooney

12:27 , Daniel Keane

In his witness statement, Mr Rooney said he “didn’t want to get involved” when his wife became “frustrated” at alleged leaks of her information to The Sun.

Asked what he meant by that in court, Mr Rooney replied: “I’m not big on social media and I didn’t want to get involved.

“My wife is an independent woman who does her own thing and I didn’t want to get involved in what the situation was.”

Mr Rooney said that social media was the “least” of his worries amid helping his wife with their four children.

“She made me aware of it and that was the last time I actually spoke about it,” Mr Rooney said.

Rooney says abuse received by Rebekah was ‘disgusting'

12:33 , Daniel Keane

Wayne Rooney said that abuse directed at Rebekah Vardy was “disgusting”.

He was asked by Hugh Tomlinson QC if he had discussed with his wife the “very high level of abuse and trolling” that came after her October 2019 “reveal” post.

“Me sitting here in this court room, this trial is the first time I’m hearing almost everything in this case. It’s been a long week,” Mr Rooney said.

He added: “I’ve never discussed it really with my wife.

“The abuse Mrs Vardy has received, I think, is disgusting. It’s not right (for) a woman to receive that abuse.

“But I never really discussed being part of this, I’ve been here to support my wife.”

Rooney says he had ‘awkward’ conversation with Jamie Vardy ‘regarding his wife'

12:44 , Elly Blake

Mr Rooney recalled in court the “awkward” conversation he allegedly had with Jamie Vardy about his wife.

“I spoke to Jamie 100%,” he said, adding: “I remember the conversation I had with Jamie.

“It was awkward for me to have to speak to a team-mate regarding his wife.”

Mr Rooney said the two footballers had gone into a games room to sit down and speak, with Mr Vardy having a can of red bull and Mr Rooney a coffee.

“It was such an awkward moment for me to have to speak to him,” Mr Rooney said.

Period after viral post has been ‘very traumatic’ for his wife, Rooney tells court

13:05 , Elly Blake

Mr Rooney told the court that the period after his wife’s “reveal” post had been “very traumatic” for her and that he had watched her “really struggle”.

“For me and my wife, we don’t want to be in this court,” Mr Rooney said.

“I’ve watched my wife over the last two and a half years really struggle with everything … becoming a different mother, a different wife.

“It’s been been very traumatic for my wife.”

He added: “Hopefully whatever the judgment is in this case, myself, my wife and our children can get on and live our lives because it was not something that we wanted to be part of.”

Court sketch for Tuesday: Wayne Rooney giving evidence

13:12 , Elly Blake

Court sketch: Jamie Vardy and Rebekah look on as Wayne Rooney gives evidence

14:19 , Daniel Keane

15:55 , Sami Quadri

An expert instructed by Rebekah Vardy found it “surprising” that there was an “absence” of WhatsApp messages between her and agent Caroline Watt after Mrs Vardy tried to export messages from her device to her solicitors, the High Court was told.

Ian Henderson was asked a series of questions in court by Coleen Rooney’s barrister David Sherborne about Mrs Vardy’s data, which the lawyer suggested had been “deleted” or “lost”.

Mr Sherborne put it to the expert that he described the “absence of this data being caused by the uploading process” as “somewhat surprising”, with Mr Henderson agreeing that he remembered saying that.

“Clearly by surprised you’re saying that that is not what you would expect to have happened?” Mr Sherborne added.

“That is correct,” Mr Henderson replied.

Pictured: The Vardys leave court early

16:28 , Sami Quadri

Jamie Vardy claims Wayne Rooney ‘talking nonsense’

18:43 , Matt Watts

In a statement issued by Jamie Vardy’s representatives outside the hearing, the Leicester City player responded to claims in court that he was told to tell Mr Vardy’s wife Rebekah to “calm down” during the Euros in 2016.He said: "Wayne is talking nonsense.

"He must be confused because he never spoke to me about issues concerning Becky’s media work at Euro 2016.

"There was nothing to speak about, I know this because I discuss everything with Becky."

Proceedings conclude for the day

18:45 , Matt Watts

Rebekah Vardy and her husband did not return to court after a short break in the afternoon proceedings.

Proceedings have now concluded for the day, with the case expected to return for barristers’ closing arguments on Thursday.