Hurt: Ferdinand is seeking damages following an article published in the Sunday Mirror last year which alleged he had an affair with a childhood friend, Carly Storey

Miss Storey was paid £16,000 by the Sunday Mirror for the interview after she approached publicist Max Clifford.

Lawyers representing Mr Ferdinand claim the article was a ‘cynical’ breach of his privacy. They said the newspaper was ‘trading’ in his confidential information and he is now owed ‘substantial’ damages for misuse of private information.

In a statement presented to the judge, the footballer said some of Miss Storey’ s claims were ‘false and invented’.

They led to him being taunted in the street by people shouting ‘Where’s your new bird?’, he said.

He added: ‘It has been stressful and embarrassing for me to have to explain to fellow professionals as well as family members and friends and it has inevitably put a strain on my relationship with my wife.

‘The article made it out like it was referring to events that only happened yesterday, but in fact I had not met this girl for six years by the time it was published.

‘It was stressful and very uncomfortable for me to have to do things like collect my kids from school , knowing that other parents there may have read the article and not realised that it was essentially a very old story.

« Previous1234Next »