Now coach of Birmingham City in the second division, Wayne Rooney opens up. Questioned in a podcast launched by Rob Burrow, a former rugby union player suffering from Charcot’s disease, the ex-Manchester United striker spoke without filter of having experienced alcohol problems at the start of his career. “I would go home, spend a few days at home and not go out. I drank almost until I passed out. When I was in my twenties, alcohol served as a release for me,” admitted the second scorer in the history of the English selection (53 goals), retired since 2021.
A prodigy in England, Rooney began his professional career at the age of 16 at Everton, quickly finding himself in the spotlight. Before joining Manchester United at 18, a club where he made history with five championships won and a Champions League in particular.
“I didn’t want to be among the others because sometimes you feel embarrassed. Sometimes you feel like you’ve let people down and ultimately I didn’t know how to deal with the situation, he explained. When you don’t accept help and advice from others, you can find yourself at rock bottom, and that’s what happened to me for a few years. Fortunately, today, I am no longer afraid to talk to people about my problems.”
Very precocious at a very high level, the best director in the history of the Red Devils (253 goals in 559 matches) hung up his boots at the age of 35, after several difficult seasons once he was over 30, like Eden Hazard , also launched very early into the deep end.
