FOOTBALL’S most powerful agent is facing a police investigation for perjury after a trial resulting from a dispute over who represents Wayne Rooney collapsed yesterday.

Three men were cleared of blackmailing Paul Stretford, a director of Proactive Sports Group, after it emerged that he had misled the court. Police are now looking at the judge’s comments and transcripts of Mr Stretford’s evidence.

Mr Stretford, whose company represents more than 300 of the world’s best players, had told the jury that he had not represented Rooney before December 2002 when Rooney’s contract with his original agent, Peter McIntosh, expired.

But two documents disclosed to the court over the weekend revealed that Mr Stretford had poached the young prodigy at least two months previously. The prosecution ruled it could no longer rely on its chief witness’s evidence bringing the week-long trial to a sudden and dramatic close.

John Hyland, 41, a Liverpool boxing promoter, shared the dock with Christopher Bacon, 38, and his brother Anthony Bacon, 34, both of Greater Manchester. They were all accused of trying to intimidate Mr Stretford into handing over 50 per cent of the profits from handling the England international. As Mr Hyland walked free from court his solicitor, Peter Quinn, made a plea on his client’s behalf for an independent inquiry into the way football agents operate.

“The Football Association need to draw up new rules and regulations governing football agents,” Mr Quinn said. “Football agents are licenced but the rules and regulations supposed to guide their actions are meaningless.”

There has long been disquiet over the potential conflict of interest when football agents pick up payments from players and the buying club in the same transfer deal.

The deal, brokered by Mr Stretford, which took Rooney from Everton to Manchester United for £27 million in August this year, came under such scrutiny.

The transfer included a payment of £1.5 million from Manchester United to Mr Stretford’s company and a further payment from Rooney for negotiating a six-year contract.

Mr Stretford has built his Wilmslow-based company, now known as the Formation Group, to a pre-eminent position among football agencies.

The problems began when Mr Stretford won Rooney’s parents around to signing for Proactive, even though he was already signed for Pro-Form.

After a series of increasingly fraught meetings with the player’s original handlers, who were seeking compensation, Mr Hyland was brought in when Pro-Form merged with another company, X8. Initially Mr Stretford offered £5,000 and later raised his offer to a lump sum of £25,000.

Solicitors for X8 eventually drew up a contract demanding a 50-50 split in the profits Proactive stood to make from Rooney’s commercial deals.

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