The lenses that really will make Rooney see red

He may already have a fiery temper, but Wayne Rooney could soon really start seeing red during Premiership matches.

Nike, which sponsors Rooney, along with other players including Thierry Henry, Robbie Keane and Ronaldo, is testing coloured contact lenses for top players.

The firm says red, yellow and amber lenses can help them see the ball better, particularly in bright sunlight.

Brian Roberts, of US basketball team Baltimore Orioles, who has tested the lenses, said: "They're like wearing sunglasses without wearing sunglasses. I could see such a huge difference right away."

The lenses, which have been under development for seven years, could be used in Britain this year by Premiership players. Nike is working with contact-lens company Bausch & Lomb to sell them through opticians.

The colour of the lenses has been designed to ensure the wearer does not actually see a red tint and bright sunlight is filtered out. It is hoped that by wearing them during-sunny matches, wearers could prolong their playing careers.

"It helps your eyes relax instead of squinting all the time," said Danny Graves of the Cincinnati Reds baseball team, who has also been testing the lenses. "And that helps relax the rest of your body."

Graves also discovered another benefit - they can intimidate opponents. "They make you look kind of evil," he said. "Other players look at you like you're possessed."

However, leading optometrists today warned that use of the lenses would need to be tightly controlled. "Hygiene would be a worry here," said Judith Morris, a contact lens expert at City University.

"If you use these lenses for one match a week, then store them in a case, there could be problems. And obviously they would absolutely have to be fitted professionally."

Tony Chipote, a marketing field manager for Nike, said: "We want our athletes to continue to see their game better and better for longer and longer. As soon as you start to lose your eyesight, the rest of your body will start to suffer."

Nike has also signed up tennis star Roger Federer and golfer Justin Leonard to test the lenses. It claims that while the red lenses are ideal for fast-moving sports such as football, grey lenses are the key to golfers being able to discern the lie of the land on a putting green.

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