LONDON (AP) -- England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been dropped from a school soccer promotion because of his bad on-field behavior.
The English Schools Football Association said Rooney would not appear as a star guest at an Under 13s semifinal for the Coca-Cola Cup at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium next Monday.
"We just feel there are better role models at the moment for schools football," ESFA chief executive John Read told Sky Sports News on Monday.
"Secondly, we see a lot of bad behavior these days on the field and we just feel it's not a good example for all those young schoolchildren out there."
The 19-year-old Rooney has often been shown swearing repeatedly at referees during televised matches.
"That has been seen by millions of children on the TV and there is no excuse for that," Read said. "There's no doubt about his skill as a player but there's also no doubt about some of his antics on the field and we should explain to children why we don't like that.
"The very young ones especially will copy him but, at the end of the day, somebody has got to make a stand about the current behavior on the field."
Rooney has an endorsement contract with Coca-Cola.
