Fury wants Rooney to put him through his paces for the Usyk fight (Picture: Getty)
Tyson Fury has claimed Wayne Rooney has agreed to be part of his fight camp for his undisputed showdown with Oleksandr Usyk in 2023.
‘The Gypsy King’ comfortably defended his WBC title against Derek Chisora earlier this month, leaving him on collision course with IBF, WBO and WBA king Usyk to crown the heavyweight division’s first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis.
Former England and Manchester United captain Rooney, now managing MLS side DC United, is a huge boxing fan, calling for Fury to be knighted after his win over Chisora.
Fury teased the possibility of the 37-year-old helping him prepare for the Usyk fight, now insisting it was a serious offer that the former striker has now accepted.
‘I spoke to Wayne [Rooney] last night and he’s well up for it. But he’s a right-handed person, so he’s got to switch up to be southpaw left-handed,’ Fury told ITV.
‘So we’re going to bring Wayne in for preparation for Usyk.’
Asked if it was a joke, Fury added: ‘No very very serious. He’s agreed, so he’s going to come into camp for around four weeks to help me.’
Rooney is currently managing MLS side DC United (Picture: Getty)
Fury first teased the link-up in an interview with talkSPORT last week. ‘He’s a massive boxing fan, he comes from a boxing family as well,’ Fury said of Rooney.
‘So, hopefully, we can have a little spar in the future sometime.
‘I do need someone smaller to prepare for Usyk. Wayne, if you’re listening, get on the blower, son!’
Rooney made headlines in 2015 when footage emerged of him being knocked out by friend Phil Bardsley during a friendly sparring session in his kitchen.
In the weeks that followed, the United legend celebrated a goal against Tottenham with his now infamous shadow boxing celebration, mimicking the knockout in front of the Old Trafford crowd.
MORE : ‘Hold your head up, lions’ – Tyson Fury sends message to England players following World Cup exit
MORE : ‘He’s bigger than Muhammad Ali’ – Tyson Fury backtracks over Oleksandr Usyk ‘midget’ comments
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Fury insists it is a ‘serious offer’.
