Overview

• Rooney disclosed on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast that he struggled with alcohol throughout his playing career.
• He described binges lasting two days before returning to training and matches, sometimes scoring and then resuming drinking.
• He said the bottle was his escape from pressure and the fear of letting down his club and teammates.
• He recounted masking his condition to avoid detection, including from Sir Alex Ferguson, by using mouthwash, chewing gum and aftershave.
• He credited his wife, Coleen, with keeping him on track for about 20 years and said he believes he would have died without her support; the 39-year-old is a former Manchester United and England striker now unattached after recent managerial spells.