Wayne Rooney reveals drinking problems at the height of his Manchester United and England fame

Wayne Rooney has opened up about the pressures of fame he experienced while playing for Manchester United and England — and how he used to turn to drink to find a release. The 36-year-old — now manager of Derby County — shot to fame at just 16-years-old and became a magnet for attention, as he went from growing up on a Liverpool council estate to representing his country at just 17. Ad/> But ahead of the release of 'ROONEY', a documentary charting his life, Rooney revealed he was wholly unequipped to deal with what hit him.

Premier League'I've got a job to do' — Rooney rejects Everton's approach to be new manager28/01/2022 AT 16:02 «To go from that [his upbringing] to having to deal with becoming a Premier League player at 16 and an international player was something I wasn't prepared for,» he told the Daily Mail and the Times. «I had never even thought about the other side of being a football player. I wasn't prepared for that part of life.

»It took a long time for me to get used to that and figure out how to deal with it. It was like being thrown in somewhere where you are just not comfortable. That was tough for me.

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