Indie:
Wayne Rooney is determined to reach some form of agreement with the bookmakers who claim he owes them £700,000, although he does not know the identity of the man who took most of the bets that have landed him in such serious debt.
The man working on behalf of the bookmaker Stephen Smith, who dealt with Rooney's account, was known only as "Michael" to the 20-year-old and his testimony will be central to the dispute over how much is owed.
The betting with Smith, a business associate of Rooney's fellow England striker Michael Owen, took place in such a casual manner over the six months up to Christmas that Rooney is still unsure exactly how much he owes.
The claims of £700,000 from Smith's company Goldchip Ltd have not yet been substantiated with records as requested by Rooney's management company Proactive.
They have asked Smith to provide them with detailed accounts of what events Rooney bet on and which odds he was offered. Despite having requested the accounts in February, Smith's company have so far refused to provide anything that shows clearly what Rooney bet on and how he allowed his losses to spiral so far out of control.
While Rooney has not fallen out with Owen over the involvement of Smith, who was introduced to the England players by the Newcastle forward and became their unofficial bookmaker, he has decided to stop gambling on all but the smallest scale ever again.
Telegraph:
A spokesman for Rooney's advisers, Proactive Sports Management, said: "Any suggestion of a rift or a dispute between Wayne and Michael are without foundation as far as Wayne is concerned. Wayne and Michael remain the best of pals."
That was backed up by Owen, whose spokesman said: "They are very much looking forward to playing together in the World Cup."
Despite their public declarations of friendship, England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson still wants to talk to the two players after it emerged at the weekend that Rooney owes the massive debt to Owen's business partner, Stephen Smith, who runs a betting service for top players through a company called Goldchip.
Rooney, who racked up the debts gambling on horse racing, football and greyhounds in just five months, is refusing to pay all the money back. Although Smith issued a statement claiming Goldchip is a licensed operation, Rooney's advisers are questioning the legality of the company. They are also asking how Rooney came to owe the company so much money.
But Smith said: "I have never operated as an unlicensed bookmaker. I got my own licence on Thursday last week. Up until then I was authorised to receive bets as an agent to a bookmaker who has a permit. It is all completely legal."
The row looks set to rumble on for some time, although talks between Proactive's lawyers and Owen's advisers, SFX, will resume in the next few days.
Mail:
Paul Merson said: "Does Wayne have a problem? No. If a postman or a milkman earns £300 a week and spends £310 a week, then he is in trouble.
"It's a lot of money, but Wayne earns a lot."
Merson, who is 38 and has now retired from the game, admits he gambled "obscene" amounts during his playing career and claims he has learned to limit his betting.
"There is no worse feeling than getting a bill through with nothing to show for it," he said.
"My bill arrives, it could be for £150,000, then you have to get the money. So you gamble again to chase the money. It hurts like mad."
Rooney's representatives have dismissed talk of a rift between the striker and England team-mate Michael Owen over gambling debts, insisting the pair remain "best of pals''.
There had been suggestions Rooney is furious with Owen for letting him get sucked so heavily into the betting scene.
Gareth Southgate gets in on the act:
"It's for club or national managers to step in if they feel there is an issue. If it starts to get out of hand, individuals would need to deal with that.
"Gambling is an addictive pastime but I think anything in moderation is OK.
"People have always gambled in squads and sometimes in the squads I was involved in it was good fun and it got people together.
"But some of the sums being spoken at the moment would be disturbing no matter what you're earning.
"There is a duty for everybody involved at a club to look out for younger players and to try and make sure those problems don't get out of hand."