Wayne Rooney said his wife Coleen has helped him to stay “on the path” for over 20 years, admitting he thinks he would “be dead” without her. Rooney made the confession during a chat with Rio Ferdinand about his footballing career and the struggles he faced behind-closed-doors. Rooney opened up about his battle with alcohol dependency and taking things “too far” at certain points of his life.
Rooney is considered one of the greatest strikers of all time, he is Manchester United’s leading scorer with 253 goals and was the record goalscorer for the England national team from 2015 to 2023. He joined the club in 2004 and netted a hat-trick on his debut in a Champions League tie with Fenerbahce.
He won five Premier League titles and the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup after joining from Everton for £27m in 2004. The 39-year-old had two separate spells at boyhood club, Everton.
He enjoyed a stint from 2002 to 2004, where he made a significant impact as a teenager, before a return from 2017 to 2018. He joined Everton’s youth system at age nine and debuted professionally at sixteen.
However away from the pitch, the Croxteth-born pundit had his own personal struggles. Rooney, has spoken openly on the “Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast” about his personal demons.
Rooney said: “I wanted to go out and enjoy my time with my friends and having a night out. It got to a point where I went too far, of course it did.
“That was a moment in my life where I was struggling massively. With alcohol. Massively struggling and I didn’t think I could turn to anyone.
“I didn’t really want to, because I didn’t want to put that burden on anyone. I remember going into training and putting eyes drops in, chewing gum.”
He continued: “I just drank for two days straight. Go training and at the weekend, I’d scored two goals and then I’d go back and go and drink for two days straight again.”
When asked by Ferdinand how important wives are to footballers and their career, Rooney said: “I honestly believe if she weren’t there I would be dead. I honestly believe that.” He spoke about Coleen being able to read him and at times “managing” him and guiding him.
Rooney said: “It’s annoying at times and I’m like ‘what are you doing?’, and you get annoyed, but everything she is doing is to keep me here on this road, to be the best person. “The former Everton forward told Ferdinand that Coleen has kept him on “path” for over twenty years.