Wayne Rooney Says Wife Coleen ‘Saved My Life’ After He ‘Massively Struggled’ With Alcohol

• Wayne Rooney has revealed he once “went too far” with drinking and that he was “massively struggling” during his playing career.
• Rooney credits his wife Coleen with keeping him alive and on track, saying “I honestly believe if she [Coleen] weren’t there I’d be dead.”
• The former England and Manchester United forward described nights of drinking for “two days straight” and how he concealed it before training and matches.

Wayne Rooney has opened up about a dark chapter during his playing career, saying he “went too far” with alcohol and that the support of his wife Coleen was lifesaving.

Speaking to Rio Ferdinand on the “Rio Ferdinand Presents” podcast, Rooney detailed the scale of his drinking and how it affected his life and work. He told Ferdinand: “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.”

Rooney described how he sometimes arrived at training after extended drinking sessions and used tricks to hide the fact. “I remember going into training and putting eye drops in, chewing gum,” he said. “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.”

On who helped him through that period, Rooney was unequivocal about Coleen’s role. “Coleen is massive,” he said. “It’s bad because we’re two kids from Croxteth [Liverpool] and then we grew up together and obviously we started dating and we got married and have kids. But when I was 17 she could see, she knew my mind and she knew I was a bit out there.”

He explained how Coleen helped him manage impulses he could not control on his own. “You know, I loved my football, obsessed with football but also I loved a night out or whatever going out. 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.”

Rooney reflected on the cumulative effect of that intervention. “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.”

He also acknowledged the public and private mistakes of his past while stressing how Coleen’s presence has kept him steady. “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.”

Now 39, Rooney has moved into management after retiring, with spells in charge at Derby County, D.C. United, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle. His reflections on the podcast were framed as a deeply personal acknowledgment of vulnerability and gratitude. The former United and England captain said he did not want to be a burden on anyone during his struggles, but that Coleen’s steadying presence ultimately made the difference.

Those words paint a human picture behind the headlines and trophies: even when a player wins at the highest level, the private pressures can be severe. Rooney’s account is both a confessional and a tribute, and his insistence that Coleen “kept me on that path” and helped him become “the best person” he could be closes the loop on a story of personal recovery and long-term support.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.

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