Rooney: 'I'd be dead without Coleen' as he reveals past struggles with alcohol

Wayne Rooney says he could have died if not for his wife Coleen, a point he made on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast. The 39-year-old former Manchester United and England captain said he was "struggling massively" with alcohol during his playing days. Rooney, who scored a club-record 253 goals for United and retired from professional football in 2021, said he believes Coleen's presence and support likely saved his life: "I honestly believe if she weren't there I'd be dead." The couple have been married since 2008, and Rooney met Coleen when they were at school.

He described drinking two days straight, then still going to training and scoring goals on weekends before resuming drinking: "I just drank for two days straight. Come training and at the weekend, I'd score two goals and then I'd go back and go and drink for two days straight again." He said he didn't want to burden anyone and that Coleen kept him on the right path; "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." "She's helped me control that massively. She's managed me because I needed managing."

Rooney went into management after his playing career, most recently at Plymouth Argyle, leaving last December. Speaking previously on BBC Breakfast about his relationship with Coleen, he said: "There could have been times when Coleen could have walked away. But we love each other." He added that he was never an alcoholic, but a binge drinker: "I was never an alcoholic. I was more of a binge drinker, where, if I got two days off, I'd literally drink for two days and then dust myself down—eye drops, chewing gum, mouthwash—to go into work and then have to run around a pitch and train." Rooney noted the broader arc of his career, including his record 253 United goals and his transition into management, and that his wife has kept him on the right path for two decades.

In addition to discussing his past, Rooney confirmed that his managerial stint at Plymouth Argyle came to an end last December. The remarks come as he reflects publicly on the pressures of professional sport and the ways athletes confront alcohol and mental-health challenges. If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article, visit the BBC's Action Line.