Yahoo News ‘It absolutely didn’t happen' – Wayne Rooney story refuted by Frank Lampard in clear response
Frank Lampard has dismissed Wayne Rooney's claim that he received bedtime foot massages from Chelsea masseur Billy McCulloch while on England duty.
The Manchester United legend recently shared a quirky anecdote from his time together with Lampard on national team duty. He recounted an incident on the Stick to Football podcast (via the Mirror), where he alleged Lampard and John Terry had a nightly ritual of getting their feet felt by McCulloch until they dozed off, followed by a snug tuck-in.
However, Lampard has addressed the claims and denied any such bedtime rub-downs occurred. Speaking to BBC 5 Live, the Blues icon expressed his need to clear the air with Rooney, suggesting a case of "selective memory" on the United icon's part.
READ MORE: Ruud van Nistelrooy has told Erik ten Hag what he wants to hear amid Man United links
"I need to have a word with him because he's... would I call it selective memory," Lampard said. "I don't know what I'd call it, I don't know, maybe he got the wrong end of the stick.
"I certainly never had my feet rubbed to make me fall asleep in my room, I'm just going to correct here. I'm not going to speak for John but the story is, Billy the masseur was at Chelsea and was at England for a period of time.
"We were all very close, so naturally we would work with Billy in the medical room. Occasionally he would come to our room and do work, which is very normal, I'm sure Wayne has had a similar situation.
"But I just want to clarify that we certainly didn't. . .I'm just trying to picture myself falling asleep and Billy's finishing and quietly leaving the room. I would have been uncomfortable with that and I love Billy."
The tuck-in process from club icon and fan favourites McCulloch sounded particularly pleasant and perhaps the kind of luxury one might expect to be reserved exclusively for elite sportspeople. However, Lampard further asserted his position and insisted he has people in mind who can confirm his account of events.
"Like you can go where you want with it, you know? So it absolutely didn't happen," he added. "I've got witnesses, speak to Billy, get him on or whatever, but it didn't happen."
