Football
Rooney has spoken out about his alcohol problem
Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has spoken about the pressure and stress he faced during his prolific football career.
Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has spoken about the pressure and stress he faced during his prolific football career.
Wayne Rooney, who is regarded as one of England’s best strikers, has spoken to the Daily Mail on Sunday about the stress he experienced in the early part of his career.
the 36-year-old Rooney said he battled with his demons especially at the start of his career when he landed at Everton. There he became the Premier League’s youngest ever goalscorer at the age of 16 and won the Golden Boy award. It was no surprise, then, when giants Manchester United became interested in the services of the young cannonballer in 2004.
Rooney talks about his alcohol problems
Rooney talked about how difficult it was for the young player to take all the pressure that was thrown at him from the media, where his transgressions were often blown out of proportion. “At United, even before I had my first son Kai, I really locked myself away sometimes and didn’t go out for days,” he said in the interview, describing a difficult period. “All I did for days was drink. I guess to get it all out of my head,” he continued.
The former shooter now regrets his indiscretions from his youth. “I used to be angry and aggressive a lot,” he explained of his problems in his youth. As he got older, he was able to manage his anger and drinking better than in his youth.
However, even later, specifically in 2017 and 2018, there were media reports of drunk driving and public disorderly conduct. “Now my relationship with drinking is perfectly fine,” he concluded about his biggest life scare.
Rooney as manager
He has now embarked on a coaching career, managing second division side Derby County. But as we informed you at the start of the season, the club is unfortunately in big financial trouble. They are currently fighting to stay in League Two after deducting points. Last month, he was linked with the manager’s job at Everton after the departure of Rafa Benitez, where he started his professional career. Rooney, however, turned down the offer.
“I’ve been here for more than three years as a player and manager. I have built a lot of great relationships here,” he explained the reasons for his refusal.
“What I ask of my players is hard work, honesty, trust, commitment. If I just turned around and said I was leaving…I wouldn’t be able to do that,” he said, showing confidence in his current employer in a difficult time.
Rooney leaked the interview days before the release of a documentary about his life and career, which is set to be released on Amazon Prime on Friday, February 11. You can watch the official trailer for the documentary on the Amazon Prime Video Sports YouTube channel.
Source: Mail on Sunday, Amazon Prime Video Sport