Coleen Rooney Seen Alone in Cheshire After Wayne Rooney's Alcoholism Disclosure
Wife and mother of four pictured solo as Wayne Rooney discusses his drinking struggles and the impact on their family
Coleen Rooney stepped out alone in Cheshire on Thursday, marking her first public sighting since her husband Wayne Rooney opened up about his battle with alcohol and said he would be dead without her support in an interview with former teammate Rio Ferdinand. The 39-year-old mother of four wore a black coat and carried a takeaway coffee as she navigated the crisp September weather.
In the interview, Wayne described a long, difficult journey with drinking that he said began to threaten his life and career. He said all he wanted was to spend time with friends, but it reached a point where he started to struggle massively, admitting that there were times when he would turn up for training after two days of drinking and would attempt to hide the problem from teammates and management with eye drops, chewing gum and aftershave. "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," he told Ferdinand.
The footballer-turned-coach described a pivotal shift in his life, praising his wife and mother of their four children for helping him stay on track. He insisted that without Coleen, the trajectory of his life could have been much worse, saying, "I honestly believe if she weren’t there I’d be dead." He recalled growing up in Croxteth and meeting Coleen when they were teenagers, noting that their shared history and family ties helped them weather his past struggles and public missteps.
The Rooney family—Coleen, Wayne, and their four children Kai, 15; Klay, 11; Kit, eight; and Cass, six—have long been in the public eye. Wayne described Coleen as the best person and acknowledged that, while he made mistakes that are widely documented, she has helped keep him on a healthier path for more than 20 years. The couple’s early life together, from teenage sweethearts to a long marriage, remains a central part of their public narrative.
Their personal history has been punctuated by public challenges beyond the alcohol conversation. Coleen has endured high-profile allegations surrounding Wayne’s behavior when he was younger, including claims of visits to sex workers as a teenager. She publicly voiced support for him in various fora, including a 2023 Amazon Prime documentary about his life and football career, where she discussed the pressures of public judgment and the importance of family. Her decision to stay in the marriage, she has said, was driven in part by the impact on their children and the need for stability in their household.
In the broader context of their public profile, reports have also highlighted ongoing professional developments. Earlier this year, it was reported that Coleen is poised to star in a fly-on-the-wall reality series for Disney+, a deal said to be worth around £10 million after a bidding competition with Amazon. The project would reportedly follow the Rooneys at home in their Cheshire mansion. Wayne’s position as Plymouth Argyle manager ended in December after a 25-match tenure, and Coleen has often been described as the primary breadwinner during his football career transitions. The family remains based in the Cheshire home as they navigate the couple’s long-running public narrative and evolving careers.