[1] Ferdinand described the article as "gross invasion of my privacy" and brought legal action in which he sought damages and a worldwide injunction against further publication.

Ms. Storey received a payment of £16,000 for her interview with the Sunday Mirror, which had been sold to the newspaper after she had contacted the publicist Max Clifford.

Lawyers acting for Mirror Group Newspapers argued that he had been appointed as captain of the England football team on the basis that he was a "reformed and responsible" character.

[2] Tina Weaver, the editor of the Sunday Mirror, commented: "There has never been greater scrutiny of the media than now, and we applaud this ruling in recognising the important role a free press has to play in a democratic society.

"[6] Media commentators described the victory of the Sunday Mirror in the case as significant in the wake of the News International phone hacking scandal and the 2011 British privacy injunctions controversy.