Manchester United star Wayne Rooney has become a new ambassador of luxury car manufacturer Mercedes.
The 22-year-old footballer signed a two-year deal with the German car maker last week and has already received a brand new customised Mercedes Benz CL63 Coupe worth £121,000.
The car has a 6.2-litre engine, is capable of doing 155mph, and can hit 60mph in 4.5 seconds.
Teammate Rio Ferdinand already drives the same model.
Marketing experts however have questioned the deal, suggesting Rooney's reputation could put off some of Mercedes more traditional customers.
Brand analyst Peter York said: "Ordinarily you'd expect Mercedes to choose someone aspirational and classy to advertise its cars, and it's fair to say Wayne Rooney doesn't fit that category.
"It's extremely strange. You have to ask who chose him? Was it someone who has misunderstood his image or was it perhaps a calculated move to ensure people talked about it?
"It's possible it will backfire and put off traditional Mercedes customers - but perhaps their choice of Rooney reflects the fact that the kind of people prepared to spend a fortune on a smart car nowadays are not particularly smart people."
Rooney will be able to make use of all the brand's top models, as well as use a chauffeur-driven Mercedes to take him to any public engagements he attends.
Rooney's contract stipulates he must drive only Mercedes to matches and most training sessions, meaning wife Coleen will be left to drive the rest of his fleet.
He has an impressive fleet of cars in his collection, including a BMW X5, a Bentley Continental GT costing £132,500, and an Aston Martin Vanquish at £177,000.
He also owns a Cadillac Escalade, Range Rover Sport, and a Lamborghini Gallardo.
A source at Mercedes said: "We very much wanted Wayne to be the face of the brand. Mercedes will set Wayne up as an icon with their cars. There is an option in the contract for him to feature in some adverts.
Rooney has a string of contract endorsements, and is expected to make £100 million by the time he is 30.
His spokesman said: "I can confirm Wayne has just completed an initial two-year deal with Mercedes."
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