English football legend Wayne Rooney has admitted that he believes he might not be alive today if not for the support of his wife, Coleen, who helped him confront and manage his struggles with alcohol.
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the former England and Manchester United star told his ex-teammate that during the height of his career, he would often “drink for two days straight.”
Reflecting on that period, the 39-year-old said: “I’d come to training, score two goals at the weekend, and then go back and drink for two days straight again.”
Rooney credited Coleen with stepping in to help him regain control. “She helped me massively and managed me because I needed managing,” he said. “I honestly believe, if she wasn’t there, I’d be dead.”
The pair first met as teenagers in Liverpool before marrying in 2008 after six years together. Rooney revealed that Coleen recognised his issues early on. “When I was 17, she could see my mind was a bit out there. I loved football—obsessed with it—but I also loved nights out. She saw it very early and helped me control that massively.”
Rooney also admitted that while at Manchester United, he tried to hide his drinking from legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson by chewing gum and using eye drops.
Over the years, the couple, who now share four children, have endured several public controversies surrounding Rooney’s alcohol use and infidelity—incidents for which he has publicly apologised. His arrests for drink-driving in Cheshire in 2017 and for public intoxication in the US a year later both made headlines.
Now 39, Rooney has stepped away from management after leaving Plymouth Argyle. He currently runs his own BBC podcast and appears as a pundit on Match of the Day.
