Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney warned a Twitter follower who threatened him, "I'll put u asleep within 10 seconds".

England forward Rooney found himself drawn into an angry exchange after the follower, who appeared to be a fan of Liverpool, United's arch-rivals, taunted him by saying: "Rooney ya fat whore ill smash ya head in with a pitchin wedge an bury ya with a ballast fork..."