'It's been dealt with from a legal point of view' - Wayne Rooney says Wagatha Christie case will not overshadow Birmingham's clash with Jamie Vardy's Leicester

Rooney spoke ahead of the upcoming clash against Leicester City at St Andrews, as he prepares to face his former England team-mate Jamie Vardy for the first time since their wives were involved in the 'Wagatha Christie' court case.

Speaking ahead of the clash against Leicester, Rooney said: "The game is Birmingham City against Leicester. In my opinion, Jamie Vardy’s a fantastic player and has been for many years. I played with him for England, but I played with many players for England. It’s not someone who I’ve ever had a relationship with, outside of being in a training camp or games. I respect Jamie Vardy a lot, he’s a fantastic player and still has a lot to offer Leicester.

“What’s important is we don’t get dragged into a sideshow. Everything that’s happened in the past, which everyone is aware of, has been dealt with from a legal point of view. My job is to now focus on Birmingham trying to win the game. He’s a great servant to Leicester and he’s a player we have to do a lot of work on to stop. He can really hurt you if you don’t.”

The case unfolded after Coleen Rooney accused Rebekah Vardy of leaking stories about her private life to the press. Following the court case, Vardy was ordered to pay a substantial proportion of Rooney's legal fees after her claims were proven to be true, with an estimated value of around £3 million.

The Blues boss will aiming to put the off-field issues behind him, as he looks to build on the 1-0 win against Cardiff City in their last outing. Elsewhere, Vardy is expected to miss this fixture through injury, after being sidelined for the last two fixtures for The Foxes.