September 26 – Wayne Rooney, player, coach, and now tell-all cult figure, sat down with his former teammate, Rio Ferdinand, and during their conversation on Ferdinand’ podcast, spoke about a subject that English football has long danced around but never properly faced. Booze!
The Manchester United and England great admitted that alcohol nearly cost him his life. “I honestly believe if [Coleen] weren’t there, I’d be dead,” Rooney said of his wife, who has stood by him for over two decades through thick and thin.
While Rooney was never considered a saint during his United career, it is still something of a shock to hear the Red Devils’ all-time goal scorer describe his battles with drink in a confession that has painful similarities to another United legend, George Best.
Best, who is widely considered to be the most naturally gifted footballer to ever pull on the famous red shirt, was also ultimately undone by his battles with drink. Best, unfortunately, never found his version of Coleen. The result was tragedy, as his genius on the pitch was overshadowed by a personal life spiraling out of control, and often of the front and back pages of the tabloids, as football’s first pin-up superstar.
Rooney admits he was “struggling massively” with his drinking, bingeing for two days at a time before returning to training with eye drops and mouthwash to disguise the damage. “I didn’t think I could turn to anyone,” he said. “I didn’t really want to because I didn’t want to put that burden on anyone.”
And the issue is hardly confined to the past. Jack Grealish’s well-documented celebrations after Manchester City’s treble win in 2023 were greeted with memes and admiration in some quarters, but behind the high jinks, his manager, Pep Guardiola, is said to have bristled at his star man’s extended partying, raising questions about professionalism and trust.
While Grealish has not spoken of the demons Rooney described, the parallels are obvious: immense pressure, sudden release, and the blurred line between fun and something far darker.
The truth is, football still doesn’t know how to truly look after its heroes. Clubs invest millions in scouting, coaching, and medical technology, but when it comes to the mental toll of stardom, the infrastructure is lacking, as the phrase vulnerability is often looked at as weakness in the dressing room as opposed to a strength. Rooney survived because of Coleen. Best didn’t. And Grealish, well, his story is still being written.
If one thing is certain, football doesn’t just make legends. It breaks them, too!
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