Beckham backs Rooney to cope with limelight

England captain David Beckham says teenage striker Wayne Rooney will have to get used to incidents in his social life landing him in the spotlight.

Beckham was speaking in the wake of an investigation launched on Tuesday by Manchester police into an allegation that Rooney assaulted a man in a city centre nightclub.

"It is hard, because he's a young player and he's gone out for a dinner and apparently there's been an alleged incident. But these days we have to be careful," Beckham told reporters on Wednesday.

"He's going to go out with his friends, with his girlfriend and there are going to be incidents."

"There is obviously a spotlight on professional players and has been for quite a few years now and if you don't conduct yourself, I'm not talking about Wayne in this sense, in the right way then you look bad and you're made to look bad."

"So it is important that players look after themselves and behave themselves and for me Wayne has improved since he's been at Manchester United. I think he's been exceptional."

Local media alleged that Rooney hit a 22-year-old student who taunted him in the early hours of Tuesday over his 27 million pounds ($50.81 million) move from Everton last August.

The move, which was deeply resented by many Everton fans, has been a good one from both a footballing and personal development viewpoint for the teenager, according to Beckham.

Pointing to the experienced guidance of United boss Alex Ferguson, Beckham's own former manager, the England skipper said: "He's at the right place.

"He's got the right person looking after him and it shows in his performances on the pitch and, for me, the way he is off the pitch."

Rooney will lead England's forward line in Saturday's World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford against Northern Ireland, and against Azerbaijan in Newcastle the following Wednesday.

Asked if there was a problem with going out on a Monday night of an England week, Beckham said: "I don't think so, if there's a game on the Saturday and you're going out with friends or a girlfriend for a dinner, to a restaurant."

"If you're going out Thursday night before a Saturday night that is a problem," Beckham said.