Report: FA bans nights off for players on England duty
Rather than setting an example to his international teammates, it seems England captain Wayne Rooney's behaviour has prompted the drawing out of stringent rules aimed to curb player indiscretions.
In the wake of Rooney's apology for appearing to be drunk in the early hours of Sunday morning during an agreed night off for the national team, the Football Association has called for an end to free evenings for England squad members for the foreseeable future, according to BBC Sport.
Related - Report: Mourinho furious at FA after Rooney apologises for drunken night
The Manchester United man was pictured by The Sun newspaper allegedly crashing a wedding and stumbling around "with bloodshot eyes and red wine-stained lips" in his relaxation time. He conceded in a statement that "the images are inappropriate for someone in his position," but the FA apparently felt obliged to make strict measures to ensure a repeat offence doesn't occur.
FA chief executive Martin Glenn said he had no plans to talk with United manager Jose Mourinho about the situation, despite the Portuguese being reportedly perturbed by the scenario. He insisted there's a "team agreement" on consumption in the England camp - one that Rooney presumably exceeded by some margin - and said the FA's policies on player treatment are close to a level which he deems appropriate.
"There's been a journey. A strict disciplinarian like Fabio Capello, where the players were closeted away, it was seen not to be a good success. Roy Hodgson brought a more liberal approach. Roy was right, let's treat people like adults," Glenn told BBC Sport.
"The best agreements are when players come up with their own rules and then work with them. I think we're probably in the right ball park. We just need to have a degree of trust and make sure when we agree something as a group, we stick to it."
However, the public shaming of Rooney in the British tabloids has led to an outpouring of support for the 31-year-old.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: "This generation is the most professional generation of footballers we have ever had - not only in England. All the legends you admire, they drank like devils and smoked like crazy and were still good players. Nobody does that any more."
West Bromwich Albion and Scotland captain Darren Fletcher, a former United colleague of Rooney's, also chimed in by telling BBC Radio 5 Live: "The whole situation is very unfortunate. I hear a lot about how professional footballers are detached from the public and they don't mingle any more. This circumstance shows why professionals are scared to do it. He's suffered the consequences of the social media world we live in. Players will be even more guarded now."
Rooney is reportedly fit for Saturday's visit from an Arsenal side hit by the news that Hector Bellerin will miss around four weeks with what's believed to be an ankle ligament problem.