Tomorrow morning Wayne Rooney finds out whether he’ll cop a suspension from the FA for his potty-mouthed outburst down the Sky Sports cameras.

While he’s sure to start against Chelsea tonight, Rooney certainly won’t be pulling on the hallowed red and white colours of Coca-Cola any time soon. The soft drink giant today confirmed what we pretty much knew already – that Wazza has been axed as its stubbly, sweary public face.

The relationship ended last year with the expiry of Rooney’s contract, while his image was famously pulled from cans of Coke Zero. Clearly the company had enough of the drip-drip of bad press resulting from Rooney’s urinating in the street, public smoking and allegedly doing much worse while his wife was pregnant.

Today’s announcement seems to have come in response to digging by The Guardian’s aptly named Digger sports news column, eager to generate yet more column inches about this uniquely unlovable icon.

As The Grocer showed in this look at the risks of using sports stars as brand ambassadors, it’s usually less embarrassing for both parties to quietly move on rather than announce a divorce.

But Coca-Cola is one of the few brands with more recognition than its troubled former face. While a man earning £170,000 a week doesn’t need Coke’s money, neither does it need the sort of bother you get from a man seemingly intent on burning bridges wherever he goes.

Long after Rooney has retired as Manchester United’s number 10 and England’s number nine – presumably not to the Soccer Saturday studio, judging by his track record with cameras – Coke, top yet again of Britain’s 100 Biggest Brands, will still be number one.

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