Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will leave a Gurkha to secure his luxury home while he is away with England at the World Cup.

The ex-soldier - from a long line of Nepalese warriors famed for slaughtering the enemy with their kukri knives - is on red alert for gangs of robbers.

He was hired by Manchester United team-mate Wes Brown, 30, who lives next door and is also tipped to join the England squad jetting to South Africa next month.

The Sun says the Gurkha, who has his own quarters at the defender's £4million house, keeps an eagle-eye on BOTH pads in Prestbury, Cheshire - PLUS that of Manchester City's Stephen Ireland. An Old Trafford source said: "The Gurkhas have a formidable reputation.

"We've been told this guy was military decorated. You wouldn't want to cross him."