England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney made a formal apology to his former Everton boss in the High Court yesterday and agreed to pay undisclosed damages over claims made in his autobiography.

Everton manager David Moyes sued for libel after the striker published his autobiography Wayne Rooney -- My Story So Far, in 2006.

The book claimed that Moyes had leaked to the press a confidential meeting between the pair about Rooney's decision to leave the Merseyside club. The comments had injured Moyes' professional and personal reputation and caused distress.

Rooney, together with his co-author Hunter Davies and publisher, HarperCollins, agreed to pay damages.

According to reports in the Liverpool Echo newspaper, the amount could be as high as 150,000 pounds (US$295,000), as well as his legal costs, estimated at 400,000 pounds.

"All defendants accept that the allegation was untrue and sincerely apologize to Mr. Moyes for the distress and embarrassment caused," Sarah Toolan, solicitor for the defendants, said in court.

Moyes joined Everton in 2002, promoting Rooney from the club's youth team to the first team when he was still a teenager before the striker left for Manchester United in 2004.

In a written statement, Moyes added: "I am glad that these issues have now been resolved and that my name has been fully cleared in this matter.

"Anyone who knows me well would, I hope, regard me as a man of honour and integrity. We have now moved on and I wish Wayne and his family all the best for the future both on the field and off it."

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily June 4, 2008)