Wayne Rooney will give an insight into his thinking during some of the biggest moments in his career and also open up on his battle with his mental health during a new documentary.
England’s all-time record goalscorer stars in ‘Rooney’, to be screened on Amazon Prime in early 2022, where viewers will get a behind-the-scenes look into his family life.
Rooney addresses some difficult topics in the one-off film, talking about moments that led to stories on both the front and back pages.
The 35-year-old feels himself and his wife Coleen, who also opens up about some of her husband’s misdemeanours, are unfairly judged and is looking forward to changing the perception.
“I wanted to be honest and touch on everything that has happened in my life, which is important,” Rooney said at the show’s launch in London.
“If I do it, and I am not honest, or I don’t speak about things it wouldn’t be real, so it was about me coming out and people seeing me and my family for who we are and not what is being portrayed of us as a family.
“I want people to have a better understanding of me as a person really. Throughout a young sportsperson’s life they go through difficult periods and there is a lot of me talking about moments where I was really down, I didn’t want to be around anyone.
“People talk about mental health, at the time I did see someone at times, it is about realising what was going through your head and trying to cope with the pressure of playing for Manchester United and trying to be successful, playing for your country, then captaining your country and taking a lot of that pressure on as well.
“They will get a real insight into what was going on inside my head.
“There has been a lot of stuff over the last 20 years that has been well publicised, and I felt it was important people saw me behind the scenes as a family man, and what it was like growing up in a very tough area in Liverpool. This film gives everyone an insight into it.”
Rooney, who burst on to the scene as a 16-year-old for Everton, added: “Growing up in a council estate in Liverpool wasn’t easy, I enjoyed it, I wouldn’t change it, but it wasn’t easy to say the least.
“I think the film captures a lot of that. Getting thrown into the spotlight as a 16-year-old and having to deal with everything that comes with playing for your country at 17 was all new to me.
“I was learning on my feet, I had to learn quick, of course there were some mistakes along the way as well.
“It is exciting for me to do it, and it will be interesting for people to see it.”
One of the lowest moments for Rooney came in 2006 when he was shown a red card for England in the World Cup quarter-final against Portugal, with his then Manchester United team-mate sending him off with a wink.
Rooney says of that moment: “I have been quite open about that over the years. What is interesting to know is what was going on inside my head after the red card.
“I was sitting in the dressing room alone, knowing you are potentially out of the World Cup but also on the flip side knowing if you do qualify you are going to be out of the semi-final and possibly final if you go through.
“It is that thought process of what is going through your head at such a young age, knowing that either way you have let your country down, let yourself down. It will be interesting to see.”
