England forward on the shortlist for prestigious FIFA award

England and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney has been named on the shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award for 2012's best player.

The prestigious award will be announced on 7 January 2013 at a ceremony in Zurich and Rooney is joined on the 23-man list by Old Trafford team-mate Robin Van Persie and the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Yaya Toure and 2011 winner Lionel Messi.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is also on the shortlist for Coach Of The Year along with Premier League rivals Roberto Mancini and Roberto Di Matteo.

Rooney is the only English player on the shortlist this year.