Rooney 'punched taxi that got late to pick him up after night out'

Wayne Rooney has found himself in the middle of another controversy after it was claimed last night that he punched a VIP minibus in anger when the driver was late picking him up from a night out.

The football star, who is serving a three-match ban for kicking out during an England game, insists nothing happened and the allegations are "malicious and untrue".

The Manchester United striker, his wife and a group of their friends, had been out last Sunday night to watch singer Rihanna perform just 48 hours after his red card shame.

When the party left the Manchester Evening News Arena, they expected to find a chauffeur-driven minibus waiting for them.

However the driver was late picking them up to take them home and Rooney reportedly became agitated.

"Coleen was relaxed and quite smiley and friendly, but something had got to Wayne and he was angry," the Mirror quoted a source as saying.

"He punched the vehicle with his fist twice, damaging a headlight, the front grille and the bonnet," said the source.

"Coleen seemed frustrated with him for getting angry at the end of a lovely evening out. She's a lovely lass."

"The driver's very unhappy about this," the source added.

But the claims were furiously denied last night - with Rooney's management making efforts to ­investigate them and prove them false.

However, his spokesman has completely denied any incident had taken place - and insisted Rooney, despite having a reputation as a bruiser, would never behave in such a manner.

"This story is malicious and untrue in every detail," he added.