Company part-owned by Wayne Rooney’s agent insists no rules broken over loan

The company part-owned by Wayne Rooney’s agent Paul Stretford has insisted no rules were broken when it provided a loan to cover Derby’s wage bill last month in a bid to help Chris Kirchner complete his failed takeover.

The Football Association has launched an investigation after it emerged the Triple S Group provided a loan, worth around £1.6million, to cover May’s payroll at a time when the American businessman said he was waiting for funds to process through the international banking system.

Kirchner, who had been named by Derby’s administrators as the preferred bidder on April 6, subsequently saw his bid collapse on June 13. Rooney, who was manager of Derby when the loan was made, left the club last week after a meeting with administrators Quantama on Friday.

Stretford, 64, is one of the most influential agents in football and has represented Rooney since the former England captain was a teenager. He is the managing director of Triple S, and his family owns a minority stake in the company.

Stretford had developed a relationship with Kirchner over recent months and had attended several matches with him.

It is understood the loan was made not by Stretford personally but by Triple S, which sought legal advice in advance to ensure there was no conflict of interest given Stretford’s long-standing relationship with Rooney.

A spokesperson for the group said: “The Triple S Group is aware of the FA’s routine investigation – indeed, it was the Triple S Group that voluntarily disclosed the information to the FA which has resulted in further inquiry.

“We were surprised that details of this investigation have appeared in the press while the investigative process is ongoing. Regardless, the Triple S Group is confident in the legal