Wayne Rooney, England’s all-time record goalscorer, states he turned to consume to cope with the pressures of fame.
“To go from that to owning to offer with getting a Leading League player at 16 and an intercontinental player was one thing I was not ready for,” stated the ex-Manchester United striker.
Rooney created his Premier League debut at 16 for Everton, performed and scored for England at 17 and hit a Champions League hat-trick on his debut for Manchester United at 18 soon after a £27m go.
“I had hardly ever even imagined about the other aspect of getting a soccer participant. I was not well prepared for that portion of lifestyle,” he mentioned, speaking before the launch of an Amazon Prime documentary about his life.
“It took a long time for me to get utilized to that and determine out how to deal with it. It was like remaining thrown in someplace wherever you are just not at ease. That was hard for me.”
Rooney, who went on to come to be United and England’s all-time history goalscorer and won the Premier League five moments, states he “created a great deal of faults” as a young participant and that drinking was his most important way of coping.
“In my early many years at Manchester United, in all probability right up until we had my initial son, Kai, I locked myself absent truly. I hardly ever went out,” Rooney told the two newspapers.
“There were being occasions you would get a few of times off from football and I would essentially lock myself absent and just drink, to consider to acquire all that away from my head.
“People today could know that I liked a consume at times or went out but there was a large amount a lot more to it than just that. It was what was heading on in my head.
“It was just a construct-up of every little thing… force of actively playing for your state, enjoying for Manchester United, the stress of some of the stuff which arrived out in the newspapers about my individual life, just making an attempt to offer with all that pressure which builds up.
“I was striving to figure out how to deal with it by myself. Growing up on a council estate, you would hardly ever truly go and discuss to anyone. You would generally discover a way to deal with it yourself. It was trying to cope with it you relatively than asking for aid.”
Rooney, who returned for a second spell at Everton and also performed for DC United and Derby County prior to getting around as supervisor of the Championship club, states he did not feel at ease talking to any individual at Old Trafford about his difficulties and that he now has it “underneath manage”.
“Now, persons would be more empowered to speak about that type of point,” claimed Rooney. “Back again then, in my head and with other players, there was no way I could just go into the dressing area and begin indicating this is how I am feeling mainly because you just wouldn’t do it.
“Then you would conclusion up suffering internally fairly than permitting your feelings out.”
If you or a person you know have been afflicted by very similar troubles, you can entry facts and assistance via the BBC Motion Line internet site.