Wayne Rooney: “I Would Be Dead Without My Wife’s Support”

English football legend Wayne Rooney has revealed that he believes he would not be alive today without the support of his wife, Coleen, who helped him through struggles with alcohol during his playing career.

Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the former Manchester United and England striker admitted that at the height of his career, he would often binge drink for two days straight after matches.

“I’d come to training, score two goals at the weekend, and then go and drink for two days straight again,” the 39-year-old recalled.

Rooney said Coleen stepped in early on to help him manage his lifestyle. “She helped me control that massively and managed me because I needed managing. I honestly believe, if she weren’t there, I’d be dead,” he confessed.

The couple first met as teenagers in Liverpool and married in 2008 after six years together. Rooney said Coleen recognized his tendencies when he was still 17, noting that while he was obsessed with football, he also craved nights out and partying.

During his Manchester United days, Rooney admitted he would try to hide drinking sessions from legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson by chewing gum and using eye drops.

The Rooneys, who share four children, have weathered public controversies involving infidelity and alcohol-related incidents. Rooney was arrested for drink-driving in Cheshire in 2017 and later for public intoxication in the United States in 2018.

Now retired from coaching after leaving Plymouth Argyle, Rooney runs his own BBC podcast and appears as a pundit on Match of the Day.