Blog: Wayne Rooney will play in Switzerland tonight and we’ll all pay for it. I am no football fan so I really don’t care about whether he’s the best and I’m actually not going to say whether or not Coleen should leave him.

That’s certainly not a decision for anyone else – we won’t be helping her to raise her son or trying to navigate the horrible emotional journey that split parenting can become and can continue to be for the rest of yours and your children’s lives. It was one of the saddest things Elin Nordegren said when she admitted she had grieved so much for the family life her children had lost when divorcing Tiger Woods.

No, as a mum and a wife that is a move she should make all on her own, taking into consideration no-one else but little Kai.

But as a country we certainly do have a right to say whether Rooney should be wearing the England shirt tonight and I for one believe wholeheartedly he most definitely should not be.

Never mind the tackiness of his alleged behaviour and the fact that he is a proven cheat, but the last time I checked prostitution was illegal.

Now I know there’ll be cries of his private life has got nothing to do with his job. But this is no ordinary job. It comes with great privilege and as far as I am concerned that comes with great responsibility.

At least we as a society should ensure it does. In fact I believe all pop stars, footballers and anyone else making a mint out of a job that comes with being a role model for young and impressionable minds should sign a separate contract agreeing to certain terms.

Like anyone else if Wayne doesn’t like it he’s welcome to walk away from his multi-million pound lifestyle anytime he wants and I’m not actually saying he should lose his job.

But it is time we started to judge again, openly and loudly, to make people live up to certain standards – the kind of standards that we want for our children. He is a hero to so many young boys and wouldn’t you hope that he, of all people, with a son of his own, would want to give them something to really look up to.

If this is just swept aside what message is it sending? Children you can do whatever you like as long as you can kick a ball, belt out a tune or just be willing to sell every detail of your life to a glossy magazine. Is that the kind of world we want to live in? I certainly don’t.

I’m not advocating destroying his career but recognising that he has brought the England team into disrepute and acting on it would be a start. It’s not as if Fabio Capello hasn’t taken that kind of stand before. It was such a refreshing change when he asked John Terry to step down as captain over allegations in his private life. Measured but the point was made.

I will admit that I am so desperately disappointed that Rooney could once again hurt two people he proclaims are his “world” in such a devastating way. But more importantly it shows his moral compass is way off and therefore he should not in any capacity be representing our country, at least tonight.

I want better than that.

By Tracey O’Sullivan