Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
With a suspect on-field temperament and well-publicised off-the-field indiscretions, Wayne Rooney has long since failed to be an ideal role-model for young fans. However, during the past week he sunk to new levels by turning on his fans, teammates and employers.
Whether he was chasing money or medals is a motive only he and his agent will know. However, it is the manner in which he tried to achieve his goals that will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of Manchester United fans for years to come.
His stunning about-turn by signing a new five-year contract, only one day after stating his desire to leave, claiming that the Red Devils lacked an ability to challenge for either marquee signings or titles, was remarkable. Whatever his motives, he has secured a sizeable increase in his weekly wage with estimates suggesting he will now earn nearly $70 million over the next five years.
However, football need not be all about the money. Barcelona is a wonderful example, eschewing the commercial contracts for shirt sponsorship in favour of a publicity campaign for Unicef. A lesser-known, yet equally significant, example is that of Aston Villa supporting its local hospice, Acorns.
At an individual level, Rooney could look to his England and Manchester United colleague Rio Ferdinand who underwent his lowest public opinion rating following his ban for failing to attend a drug test. During his enforced leave of absence he was able to refocus his priorities and is now better known for his work in inner cities attempting to prevent knife crime.
Rooney's outburst and criticisms of his teammates, albeit indirectly, come at a time when the player has failed to match his early 2009 form. During the World Cup 2010, his performances were lambasted for lacking energy while, back home, he has been upstaged by Berbatov and, more recently, Javier Hernandez.
His manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has handled the situation well, placing the pressure back on Rooney with a succession of mind games placing him at odds with the fans. His Pice de rŽsistance was to arrange for owner Joel Glazer to speak to Rooney directly and provide personal reassurances.
Perhaps Ferguson will also seek to limit the number of commercial contracts to which Rooney commits.
Ferguson is known to lament the commitments required by his players to endorse products away from Old Trafford, famously falling out with David Beckham over the matter before selling him to Real Madrid.
While Rooney and his wife Colleen seek the limelight with high-profile endorsements such as Nike and EA Sports, Ferguson will be pointing to the longevity of the success of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs as examples of the plaudits that can be received from practicing a more football-dedicated lifestyle.
Given the current difficulties surrounding archrivals Liverpool, perhaps the biggest insult Rooney could have made to fans of Manchester United was to hint at accepting an offer from neighbours Manchester City.
Despite Ferguson's attempts to downplay their chances, Rooney's temptations (which we know he's not very good at resisting) may be more telling that they do genuinely fear their neighbour's competitiveness.
It is unusual that a player with Rooney's profile and undoubted skills should be met with such indifference by the fans. The pressure will now be on him to justify his colossal salary through improved and match-winning performances.
Only this way will he start to regain the faith of those who ultimately pay his wages. As he celebrates his 25th birthday this week in Dubai, perhaps he will also start to listen to advisors who recommend bridge-building with fans and start to show some altruism.
