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Wayne Rooney confronts all his demons

2022-02-21T13:45:26.699Z


Born in a troubled neighborhood in Liverpool, where he grew up from fight to fight and piling up tons of rage, at 16 he wasn't ready to become a rich and famous footballer. He took refuge in alcohol


It took him 10 minutes to enter history.

On October 19, 2002, Wayne Rooney was 16 when he jumped into Goodison Park in the 80th minute to make his Everton debut against the legendary Arsenal of Seaman, Campbell, Vieira, Henry and company.

“I wanted to be the first player to score in the Premier at the age of 16.

If he had a chance, he would shoot from wherever he went”.

He had it and scored a great goal that broke Arsenal's unbeaten record.

"He is the most talented English player I have seen since I came to England," Arsène Wenger confessed.

"I hope he doesn't get injured and that he is able to deal with whatever comes his way," he added meaningfully.

Wayne Rooney's life was about to become a whirlwind of ups and downs, triumphs and setbacks, fame and loneliness.

All of this is told by Rooney in an austere documentary on

Amazon Prime Video

in which he confronts all his personal demons.

His descent into the hells of alcohol and easy women, the loneliness of the soccer player acclaimed by the public and that he needs to lock himself up at home to drink his sorrows, unable to communicate with the world.

In which he reflects on his family, on his humble origins.

Because, born in the troubled neighborhood of Croxteth, in Liverpool, where he grew up from fight to fight and piling up tons of rage, at 16 he was not ready to become a rich and famous footballer.

He didn't even have Colline by his side, the woman he wanted to marry since he was a child, the neighbor who would end up accompanying him in his life, so full of potholes and sinkholes.

At just 17 years old, he signed his first professional contract with Everton, the club he loved.

“A week later I knew that I was the best, better than any of them.”

At 18, he made his debut for England and became the youngest scorer for Los Leones and the hero of Euro 2004, giving that golden generation of Terry, Río Ferdinand, Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham and Owen the leadership that made them favorites to win the 2006 World Cup. El Pelé Blanco, they called him.

“At that time he considered me the best player in the world.

And he was, ”he assures without a hint of arrogance.

But Rooney had not yet assimilated all that.

The tabloids had him and Colline in their sights, whom they wanted to turn into the new

Posh & Becks

, the new David and Victoria Beckham, who had gone to Madrid.

“I felt that pressure.

Photographers waiting for you everywhere.

I felt like everyone was looking at me and I didn't want that, I didn't want that."

The tabloids reported that Rooney had been going to a brothel every week for months.

The world lurched under her feet but Colline didn't lose her nerve.

She thought the problem wasn't so much Wayne as bad company mixed with alcohol.

"What she did is inadmissible, but I have forgiven her," she reasons now.

That same summer, Rooney signed for Manchester United, where he would win it all.

It was not so with England.

He arrived at the 2006 World Cup with three broken bones in one foot.

"It was my fault," he confesses.

In a decisive match against Chelsea he wore longer-than-usual cleats “to hurt someone”.

He bled Terry in a brutal tackle but injured himself because his boots, with those cleats he never wore, dug into the grass and broke three metatarsals.

The dream of England vanished at that moment.

At 38, turned coach, Wayne Rooney is a mature man looking for the greatest miracle of his life: save Derby County from relegation to Third despite having been deducted 21 points for defaulting.

It's difficult but not impossible.

That is why he is still there, despite the fact that his beloved Everton knocked on his door again.

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Source: elparis

All sports articles on 2022-02-21

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