Wayne Rooney: 'Without my wife, I would already be dead' | OneFootball

Wayne Rooney: 'Without my wife, I would already be dead' | OneFootball

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·28 September 2025

Wayne Rooney: 'Without my wife, I would already be dead'

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Wayne Rooney: 'Without my wife, I would already be dead'


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Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has revealed that his wife Coleen saved his life during his battle with alcohol addiction.

At 39, Rooney reflected on the excesses that marked his career. He explained that he could go on two-day drinking binges, unable to stop:

Honestly, if she hadn't been there, I would be dead.

Behind his performances on the pitch, the English icon was living through a real nightmare. He tried to mask his overindulgence with chewing gum, aftershave, or even eye drops. But in private, he was falling apart.

Rooney admits he didn’t dare share his problems with his loved ones or teammates. It was Coleen who took on the role of constant support, watching over him for more than twenty years. Today, the former international emphasizes that his wife has been his anchor and salvation in the face of an addiction that could have ended in tragedy.

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