Wayne Rooney opens up on struggles with alcohol abuse: ‘Without Coleen I’d be dead’ | OneFootball

Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has opened up on his struggles with alcohol and said he believes his wife Coleen Rooney saved his life by helping him through dark times.

Rooney, 39, told former team-mate Rio Ferdinand that his drinking would often go “too far” and revealed he once turned up to training at United after binging for “two days straight”.

"It got to a point where I went too far, of course it did,” Rooney said on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, where United’s all-time record goalscorer opened up on his insecurities and vulnerabilities during his record-breaking playing career.

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Wayne Rooney said he believes he would be ‘dead’ without Coleen (Yui Mok/PA Wire)

"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," Rooney said of the time he reported to training at United. "I just drank for two days straight, come [into] 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."

Rooney said his wife Coleen, who he grew up with in Croxteth, Liverpool, needed to “manage” him and revealed that he believes he would be “dead” without her supporting him.

"When I was 17 she could see, she knew my mind and she knew I was a bit out there,” Rooney said. "You know, I loved my football, obsessed with football but also I loved a night out or whatever going out.

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Wayne Rooney retired from playing in 2021 (John Walton/PA Wire)

"She's seen it very early on and she's controlled that. Well, not controlled but helped me control that massively. And at times you're like 'what are you doing?' Why do you keep saying 'don't do this or don't do that?' How she's managed me because I needed managing.

"I honestly believe if she [Coleen] weren't there I'd be dead. I believe that. And what she's done, how she ... And it's annoying at times and I'm like, what are you doing? And you get annoyed and everything she's doing is to keep me here and keep me ... the best person.

"I've made mistakes in the past which are well documented and whatever, but I'm a little bit different at times and she keeps me on that path and she's done it for 20-odd years."