A COURT case in which footballer Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen are being sued for £4.3m was abruptly adjourned.

David Gill, Chief Executive of Rooney’s football club Manchester United, and Paul Stretford, the player’s business agent, were at the court as both were scheduled to give evidence yesterday.

But shortly after a meeting of lawyers with the judge, before proceedings began in open court, the case was adjourned until today without further explanation.

It has led to press speculation that a deal between the parties may be thrashed out to prevent ex-Everton footballer Rooney and his wife having to give evidence later in the week at Manchester Mercantile Court.

The couple are said to owe £4.3m in the form of commission payments to Proactive, a sports management company which concluded lucrative sponsorship deals with a number of major companies on their behalf.

The firm got commission of up to 20% on multimillion-pound contracts signed by the Rooneys to endorse firms such as Nike and Coca-Cola.

But the firm’s “primary point of contact” to the couple was Mr Stretford, Rooney’s long-standing agent and former director of Proactive.

When he left the firm acrimoniously in October, 2008, he refused to authorise further payments of commission, amounting to £4.3m.

Ian Mill, QC, representing Proactive, told the court last week the firm was left with no option but to sue the Rooneys to get the money it is alleged it is owed.

The case was adjourned until today.