Man Utd legend Rooney reveals how Coleen saved his life amid booze battle

WAYNE ROONEY has shockingly revealed he would be dead if not for his wife Coleen.

The pair have been together since they were teens and married in 2008.

2 Wayne Rooney and Coleen Rooney have been together since they were teens Credit: Getty

2 The former England captain opened up about his problems with alcohol Credit: Getty

Coleen has supported Rooney through thick and thin, with the former England captain opening up about his boozy antics.

He told former Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand how he would use eye drops, chewing gum and aftershave to mask his two-day binges.

But Rooney also believes he might be dead because of alcohol if not for his wife.

He said on the Rio Ferdinand's Presents podcast: "I honestly believe if she weren't there I'd be dead.

"Coleen is massive. It's bad because we're two kids from Croxteth and then we grew up together and obviously we started dating and we got married and have kids.

"But when I was 17 she could see, she knew my mind and she knew I was a bit out there. You know, I loved my football, obsessed with football but also I loved a night out or whatever going out.

"She's seen it very early on and she's controlled that. Well, not controlled but helped me control that massively.

"And at times you're like, 'What are you doing? Why do you keep saying don't do this or don't do that?'

"How she's managed me because I needed managing.

"[She'a] the best person and I've made mistakes in the past which are well documented and whatever but I'm a little bit different at times and she keeps me on that path and she's done it for 20-odd years."

Rooney and Coleen have four boys together - Kai, 15, Klay, 11, Kit, eight, and Cass, six.

They have been together since they were 16-years-old and have overcome several obstacles with Rooney involved in public scandals during his playing days.

The former striker admitted to "drinking until he nearly passed out" to cope with the challenges he faced in his early 20s.

He said: “I’ve had many different challenges, both on the pitch and off the pitch, and my release was alcohol.

“When I was in my early 20s, I’d spend a couple of days at home and wouldn’t move out of the house and drink almost until I passed out.

“I didn’t want to be around people because sometimes you feel embarrassed and sometimes you feel like you’ve let people down.

“Ultimately I didn’t know how else to deal with it, so I chose alcohol to try and help me get through that.”

Coleen has also been open about how she dealt with Rooney's drinking and extra-martial affairs, revealing she stayed with him for her children.

She said: "When you're making those decisions you've got to focus on what you want and not other people because you have so many people saying different things to you. 'Oh why is she getting back with him?'

"Obviously I listen to the people that matter to me, my mum and dad always give me a positive outlook on things.

"There's nothing that we can't deal with and that's my way in a situation - let's sit down and see what we can do and can we make it work? And we have.

"We're not the lovey-dovey type anyway, we like to have a laugh and we work well together."

LIKE many Brits, Paddy Ruddy didn't know how to live without booze.

The 38-year-old believed it made him who he was - ‘Party Paddy’ - a successful businessman who was the life of the party.

But deep down, Paddy was hiding a dark secret - a battle he was losing against drinking.

Here, the dad-of-two young children shares his 'rock bottom' moment, that proved the catalyst he needed to go '99 per cent sober' - a method he believes could be more effective for many drinkers than going tee-total.

It's the basis of his book, 99% Sober: Improve Your Health, Wealth and Happiness by Taking Control of Your Drinking.