Wayne Rooney poked fun at himself by falling over as if on the end of a knockout blow after scoring in Manchester United's 3-0 win over Tottenham and then said he had no idea how a video taken in his home had found its way to the front pages.

The clip emerged earlier on Sunday showing the United and England skipper being apparently knocked out in his kitchen by former team-mate Phil Bardsley during a mock boxing sparring session.

The Sun reported the footage was shot in Rooney's kitchen on February 22 – the day after Manchester United's 2-1 defeat to Swansea.

"That's the world we live in today. It was a few mates in a private house, which has somehow managed to go front page of a national newspaper… it was me and a few friends joking about," Rooney told Sky Sports 1.

In the video, the two former team-mates pull on boxing gloves and trade blows as they spar in Rooney's Cheshire mansion.

Stoke defender Bardsley then catches Rooney square in the face with a left jab, sending the United and England skipper plummeting to the floor. Rooney lays prostrate on the floor and the video comes to an abrupt end.

Rooney marked his goal against Spurs, which gave United a 3-0 half-time lead, by punching the air numerous times before going down.

Team-mates gathered around Rooney as he lay on the turf, pretending to try to revive the 29-year-old as he feigned unconsciousness.

When asked how he felt about the revelations ahead of such a big game in the race for the top four, Rooney said: "I've been focused on the game, I think it's more interesting for other people rather than myself. You've seen I've done a professional job, got on with the game."

He added: "It's in my own home so it's not in any public place but I don't know how it's got out. You know it's what friends do, we mess around in the house and unfortunately it's made the front page of the newspaper so we just deal with it."

Former United and England team-mate Michael Owen earlier wrote on Twitter: "Best celebration ever from Rooney!"

Gary Lineker, the former England striker and current Match of the Day host, wrote: "Terrific finish from @WayneRooney and a even better celebration."

Former Liverpool centre-back Jamie Carragher added: "I did love that celebration to be fair."

United manager Louis van Gaal refused to speak in detail about the incident after the match, decrying the "world we live in" and the fact he was even being asked about it.

The former Holland boss quietly laughed when Rooney was first mentioned in his post-match interview, clearly anticipating questions about a topic that left him exasperated.

"I think in what a world we live in I can't imagine we are talking about such a thing, that a newspaper paid a lot for a video and that I have to answer questions about it," he said. "I think, what is this world, twisted?"

When asked if it was an issue at all for him as United manager, he replied: "I don't want to answer this question because I think it is ridiculous that we have to talk about such things."