It’s good to see a club stopping their star from playing the field

There is some concession to be drawn from the hype, money and adulation afforded to these young men — it would be hard for any teenager or twenty-something not to succumb to the excesses such a salubrious lifestyle can afford.

But what Wayne Rooney, John Terry and the rest have shown us is the lack of respect they have for many closest to them — be it certain friends, loved ones or the many women who throw themselves at their feet (and other parts of their anatomy).

The testimony of these temptresses should not be unquestioned and they have themselves to blame to a degree for leaving their dignity at the door — the prostitute describing one liaison with Rooney as "a bit seedy" is the same women who calls herself "Juicy Jenny" — but it underlines many players' willingness to act relentlessly in their own interest.

This has, in many instances, extended itself to their clubs, where player influence has grown so great as to render contracts in many instances as merely insurance payouts for teams to garner compensation once an individual decides he will leave.

In a world such as this, Arsene Wenger deserves substantial credit for keeping Cesc Fabregas at the club despite the Spaniard's insistence, both public and private, that he wanted to rejoin Barcelona.

It is curious why Fabregas feels the need to continue talking about a transfer that never happened. Earlier this week he declared in a Spanish magazine that Arsenal forced him to stay, after explaining something very similar in his programme notes prior to Arsenal's first Premier League home game against Blackpool last month.

The protracted will he, won't he' saga — just as Cristiano Ronaldo's flirtation with Real Madrid last year — bored the pants off most people outside Emirates Stadium.

Before anyone points out the irony of bemoaning the length of speculation while at the same time writing about it, it is not lost on me — yet Fabregas continues to talk about it. Of course, the media will continue to ask the question and he is a forthright individual who wants to have his say but surely the time for talking about Barcelona is over.

Given his strong links to the Catalan club, there is an inevitability that he will one day return to his spiritual home but Wenger persistently maintained Fabregas would stay in north London when precious few believed him.

Player power has engulfed the game to the extent that managers who chain a "not for sale" sign around their prized assets are mocked.

Fabregas stopped short of handing in a transfer request when he saw the strength of Wenger's resolve but make no mistake about it, he would be at the Nou Camp had he got what he wanted.

It is refreshing — not to mention a validation for the sanctity of a contract — that Arsenal stood firm, even if it ends up being for just one or two years and the player didn't get what he wanted just because he stamped his feet.

In a perverse way, Barcelona also helped. It could be interpreted as something of an insult to Fabregas that Barcelona never offered anything close to market value, as warped as it may be, for a player of his undeniable ability.

Say what you like about United's acquiescence in selling Ronaldo but they got good money for him and £35million — the highest Barca would go — would have represented something of a snip for Fabregas, given his resale value aged just 23.

Arsenal refused to negotiate but it is hard to believe a faxed, unconditional offer in excess of £50m would not have at least softened their stance in doing a deal.

Ultimately, Barcelona hoped that even without a formal transfer request, player power would be enough to force a deal through as so many have in the past because they lacked the financial clout to make it happen on their own.

So in a week where we have once again been reminded that players often act on selfish impulse, chalk one up for the clubs.

Bebe's story is one for Cowell to savour

Bebe's Manchester United career to date reflects that of a typical X‑Factor contestant.

With question marks surrounding their talent, the focus shifts to an emotional and complicated back story designed to generate interest and controversy as Simon Cowell assesses how to further his own success from it.

In Bebe's case, however, Sir Alex Ferguson had never even seen him audition before agreeing to pay £7.4million for a player who they could have signed for £125,000 in January.

And after admitting he hadn't witnessed him in action, it seemed as if Sir Alex was determined to keep the rest of us in the dark as well after choosing to leave one space free rather than include the 20-year-old in United's Champions League squad.

But the club claimed an administrative error on behalf of UEFA meant he was left off the list and the latest gaffe only adds to the intrigue.

Bebe's name is actually Tiago Manuel Dias Correia but apparently it is fine now just to put whatever the hell you like on the back of your shirt.

Bebe, meaning baby' in Portuguese, was the imaginative soubriquet given to him by his elder brother and follows hot on the heels of Chicarito, or Javier Hernandez as it says on his passport.

Claims Bebe had played in the Homeless World Cup were hilariously later superseded by revelations that he missed the cut and reports that his poor level of fitness and sub-standard first touch meant he was omitted from two reserve matches prompted Sir Alex to ban several reporters from Old Trafford.

Perhaps Sir Alex is like Cowell after all — Bebe is likely to make his debut in the Carling Cup tie at Scunthorpe. This could all be a ruse to sell tickets.

Either way, he is rapidly becoming a box office draw however talented he may be.

To be Frank, it could have been Wayne

England's media conference on Sunday was predictably overshadowed by the accusations levelled against Wayne Rooney but there was one moment of levity.

As the assembled throng filed out of the conference rooms where James Milner and Adam Johnson had fended off questions about their beleaguered colleague, a wedding reception was in full swing across the way.

With Rooney's alleged indiscretion the subject of every conversation, a man could be heard on the karaoke machine firing off an impassioned rendition of Frank Sinatra's 1966 classic which contains the lines . . .

That's life/And as funny as it may seem/Some people get their kicks stomping on a dream/But I don't let it get me down/Cos this fine old world keeps spinning around . . .

Appropriate sentiment indeed, but suggestions Rooney was the one singing were unconfirmed.