Wayne Rooney 'told off by police for breaking lockdown rules' with Kyle Walker

The pair are friends from their England days together (Image: REUTERS)

Wayne Rooney has reportedly been on the receiving end of a ticking off by police after breaking coronavirus lockdown rules.

The Derby player-coach is said to have fallen foul of government guidelines on social distancing by chatting to Man City full-back Kyle Walker.

The pair are neighbours and crossed paths on a Friday evening walk with their families.

According to the Sun, a female police officer was on a call nearby and ordered both players to return to their homes separately, and they were quickly moved on.

The meeting occurred at Prestbury golf course, where Rooney had taken two of his children, while Walker was there with his three kids and ex-partner Annie Kilner.

Both players' children attend the same local school, and are said to have made a beeline for each other which instigated the conversation between the two pros.

A source told the newspaper: “The families stopped to talk when all of a sudden the police swooped on them.

“It was all totally innocent and not deliberate."

Walker has already been in the headlines this week for allegedly breaking lockdown rules earlier this week, after the Sun reported he had been involved in an orgy with two female escorts.

The England international issued an apology after the report emerged of the party at his £8,000-a-month rented apartment in Cheshire.

Escort Louise McNamara, 21, and a 24-year-old ­Brazilian call girl had been invited to the property on Tuesday by Walker and a male friend, who paid them £2,200 in cash.

Walker's statement 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 apologise to my family, friends, football club, supporters and the public for letting them down.

“There are heroes out there making a vital difference to society at the moment, and I have been keen to help support and highlight their amazing sacrifices and life-saving work over the past week.

“My actions are in direct contrast to what I should have been doing regarding the lockdown.”

Rooney meanwhile has launched a passionate defence of footballers after they came under attack from the government Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who called on top stars to take a pay cut to aid the coronavirus relief effort.

Rooney said: “How the past few days have played out is a disgrace. First the health secretary, Matt Hancock, in his daily update on coronavirus, said that Premier League players should take a pay cut.

“He 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?"

The former Man Utd and England captain went on to say he would be prepared to take a pay cut if asked to do so, but accepted he was in a privileged position compared with some of his Derby colleagues.

Wayne Rooney's representatives declined to comment.