Game over for Ashley and Cheryl

Cheryl Cole is separating from her husband, Chelsea defender Ashley Cole, her spokesman revealed on Tuesday.

The split follows allegations that the star's husband, the England and Chelsea footballer, had again been unfaithful.

Cole flew back to Britain after fleeing to the US when reports about her husband surfaced.

Her spokesman, Sundraj Sreenivasan, said: "Cheryl Cole is separating from her husband Ashley Cole. Cheryl asks the media to respect her privacy during this difficult time. We have no further comment to make."

The statement ends one of the most high-profile showbusiness marriages - the couple wed in 2006.

Until now, the Fight For This Love singer, 26, has maintained a dignified silence over reports that her husband had been with other women.

On Monday she was pictured in LA being comforted by US dancer Derek Hough, 24, whom she met when she recorded her album 3 Words. Before the scandal broke, the Girls Aloud star had spoken about one day wanting to start a family with her husband.

The marriage survived a previous allegation of infidelity, which came 18 months after the couple's highly-publicised wedding. Two women then sold stories about how they had become involved with the footballer.

Ironically, Cole's career hit new heights - becoming the nation's darling with a judging role on the X Factor - following the reports.

Fight for This Love, Cole's first solo single, was inspired by her battle to fight for her marriage. But as her relationship crumbled, her career could have been put in jeopardy if she was seen to stick by him again.

Ferguson hails incredible Rooney run

Wayne Rooney returns to Everton on Saturday with Sir Alex Ferguson convinced his star striker is now one of the world's best players.

By spending £27million to lure Rooney to Manchester United from the team he supported as a boy in 2004, Ferguson never had any doubts over Rooney's potential.

Yet there have been times during the intervening years when the 24-year-old did not appear to be developing as planned, especially compared to Cristiano Ronaldo's meteoric rise.

But, after dragging United along virtually single-handed for most of the campaign, Rooney's team-mates have come to his assistance in recent times, improving the Red Devils' performances to such an extent that their star man has been catapulted into the elite group alongside Ronaldo, Kaka and Lionel Messi.

"Over the last month or so his game has just taken off," said Ferguson.

"Confidence has something to do with it of course but he has been in absolutely incredible form over the last few weeks.

"Before, we said that his goalscoring tended to come in bursts. Now he is far more consistent and goalscoring is the area you always want to be judged as a striker.

"It is the area of biggest improvement and with him doing that you have to put him in the same bracket as all the best players. The evidence is there."

Ferguson is refusing to budge from his target of 30 goals for Rooney, which, while a significant figure, seems a conservative aim given the England forward's double at the San Siro on Tuesday took him to 25.

Rooney will certainly be desperate to add to his tally on Saturday.

Despite growing up with Everton posters plastered all over his walls and still keeping a close eye on events at Goodison, Rooney has never been forgiven by the Toffees faithful for abandoning them so early in his career.

At one point he was even abused by a sponsor's wife, such is the fervour Everton fans retain for their dislike of Rooney.

"He always gets a rough ride there although he is probably used to that now," said Ferguson.

"There is a special motivation for Wayne to do well against Everton but we couldn't have him in better form really and it doesn't matter where we are going.

"He has been the main player. Without a doubt he has been the star for the last few weeks.

"He is in such good form we are going there in great confidence."

Ferguson will expect Rooney's hunger to filter all the way through a squad that will elevate Antonio Valencia to a starting slot after a couple of eye-catching cameos recently, including crossing for Rooney's first goal on Tuesday.

"We gave Valencia a break because it is his first season at Old Trafford and we don't know everything about him," said Ferguson.

"He was doing so well for us beforehand and now he is fresh.

"He has come on in the last two games and done exceptionally well so, with Nani suspended, he will start."

In addition to Nani, United are also missing Rio Ferdinand through suspension.

But Anderson is available after a reserve-team outing last night, while tough-tackling defender Nemanja Vidic is also included.

The Serbian has yet to make an appearance during 2010 after suffering a nerve problem in his leg, leading to claims that he may well be on his way out of Old Trafford this summer, something both the player and his manager have been at pains to deny.

His return is certainly welcomed given Ferguson feels Saturday's trip represents one of the key games for United, who trail leaders Chelsea by a point thanks to the Merseysiders' victory over Carlo Ancelotti's men nine days ago.

"We have a good record there," observed Ferguson.

"Maybe the atmosphere does help us because it is a real football stadium.

"Goodison Park is an old ground but it has got the football tradition still attached to it.

"The crowd are always very noisy and they will make that noise felt tomorrow.

"But we have experienced that many times before.

"It is a massive game for us, we recognise that.

"Beating Chelsea shows Everton's potential, so if we could get one, a positive result would be very important."

Moyes buries the hatchet with Rooney

David Moyes has buried the hatchet with Wayne Rooney and admitted his former striker is destined to become one of the best in the world.

Everton boss Moyes fell out with the Manchester United and England star prior to his acrimonious £27million move to Old Trafford in 2004.

The pair later became involved in a libel dispute following claims by Rooney in his autobiography but that was settled two years ago and Moyes now has the utmost respect for the 24-year-old.

Rooney has been in outstanding form for United, scoring 25 times this season, and he will be reunited with Moyes as the Barclays Premier League champions visit his boyhood club on Saturday.

Moyes said: "I think Wayne is a top player and I think he is going to be a great player.

"He has added goals to his game, maturity, understanding - all the things you would expect from a maturing player.

"I think time will be the test of whether he becomes the best in the world but he is certainly getting very close to it."

One of Rooney's written criticisms was that Moyes was overbearing but the player has since apologised.

Moyes now believes Everton can feel proud of the role they played in Rooney's development but he thinks the club have learned lessons from the way his situation was handled.

Rooney came through the Everton ranks and was tipped for stardom even before he burst into the first team at the age of 16.

Moyes said: "All credit to Wayne, he rang me to apologise about a year ago for all the things he wrote in his book.

"That was something that made me realise he was a maturing man.

"He realised what he had been given at Everton was great and his development, what we tried to do, was right.

"All in all, I think Wayne would probably look back on his time at Everton as being good.

"We probably weren't ready for Wayne Rooney at the time. I think we would be more ready now."

While Rooney will undoubtedly hope to make his mark at his former stomping ground, Everton will have a striker of their own wanting to impress against old employers.

Louis Saha has enjoyed a new lease of life since joining Everton from United at the start of last season, putting behind him an injury-ravaged four-year spell at Old Trafford.

The Frenchman has scored 15 goals this term and struck twice to stun league leaders Chelsea nine days ago.

Moyes said: "I don't think he has got a point to prove against them, Louis is well known as a top player wherever he has been.

"He had a difficult last couple of years at Manchester United because of injury but I think overall most people would say he is one of those strikers that can be very difficult to play against."

United will hope to take advantage of the lunchtime kick-off to put pressure on Chelsea, who play at Wolves later in the afternoon.

Victory would, possibly only briefly, take United top of the table but Moyes has assured them of a tough contest.

In-form Everton have lost just one of their last 11 league outings to move up to ninth and possibly into European contention.

Moyes said: "We have a belief here we can beat any team on our day.

"Manchester United has been a difficult fixture in the past but I think overall, with the players we have got here, that they will certainly be given a game."

Everton, however, must fill a void in midfield after losing the services of two key midfielders in Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill.

Fellaini was ruled out for the season with an ankle injury earlier this week and his loss was compounded when Cahill strained a damaged calf in the Europa League defeat of Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday. He will miss the next three weeks.

Moyes added: "It has been a really difficult season not helped by losing Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill.

"We seemed to be saying we were getting players back.

"It is as well we do feel in good fettle because we are winning, we are on a run. We have got to watch we don't lose any more."

Fergie: I misused Wayne Rooney

Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted Wayne Rooney's willingness to play anywhere resulted in him not being used properly last season.

Rooney took his outstanding domestic performances onto the European stage on Tuesday night with his brilliant two-goal performance against AC Milan in the San Siro.

Such are the high standards now being constantly achieved by the 24-year-old that many pundits are claiming he deserves to be ranked alongside Kaka, Lionel Messi and former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, who are widely acknowledged to be the best three players on the planet.

It is perhaps no surprise Rooney is blossoming in his preferred attacking role following Ronaldo's exit for Real Madrid last summer.

With Ronaldo increasingly reluctant to defend, Ferguson accepts he took advantage of Rooney's willingness to work as he tried to forge another title-winning side.

"We probably didn't use him properly last season," Ferguson told US-based radio station Sirius.

"We probably exploited his eagerness and enthusiasm to play anywhere. But we know his strengths, we know where he's best and that's where we're using him this season."

Ahead of the Milan game Ferguson gave the impression of being uncomfortable with all the high praise being heaped on Rooney this season when he argued the former Everton star was being afforded 'God-like' status.

Yet even he has to agree Rooney is something special.

"We talk about world-class players and I think that's a misused quote a lot of the time but, when you see his performances of late, you know you're talking about a really world-class player," said Ferguson.

"I always said to him that to be a world-class forward you need to have a really consistent goal performance.

"He is now on 25 goals and there are still 14 or 15 matches to go, maybe more depending on how we do in Europe.

"So it does put him in the frame of not just being a great player but also a great goal-scorer."

After being exposed using Rooney in the wrong position, Ferguson felt able to draw attention to Milan coach Leonardo doing exactly the same with David Beckham this week.

Although Beckham played a significant role in Ronaldinho's early opener, the former England skipper was largely a peripheral figure on the right of a very tight three-man midfield before being replaced by Clarence Seedorf.

Ferguson has never been convinced Beckham's best position is anything other than wide on the right - and it seems nothing has changed.

"I was surprised that they played David in central midfield; I thought that they'd have played him wide right, otherwise you lose his crossing," he said.