Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen McLoughlin are the epitome of childhood sweethearts, having met when Coleen was just a tender 12 years old in their home suburb of Croxteth, Liverpool. But wasn't until they both turned 16, after finishing school, that things became "official" between them.
As Wayne's football career skyrocketed with the Premier League and England's national team, the couple sealed their love with a grand wedding ceremony in June 2008.
The Rooneys' nuptials were nothing short of spectacular, taking place in the picturesque Italian resort of Portofino in June 2008, following six years of dating. The lavish affair caught the attention of OK! Magazine, which reportedly paid a cool £2.5 million for exclusive details and photos of the event.
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The celebration was made even more special with performances by Wayne's favourite band, Stereophonics, and Coleen's top choice, Westlife.
Family life soon followed the fairy-tale wedding, with the arrival of their first son, Kai, in November 2009. Klay Anthony joined the family in May 2013, and Kit expanded the brood in January 2016.
Their fourth child, Cass, was born on 15 February 2018.
Despite their high-profile status, Wayne and Coleen's journey has faced its challenges. The former Manchester United player confessed to past indiscretions, admitting, "Foolish as it now seems I did on occasions visit massage parlours and prostitutes."
"I now regret it deeply and hope people may understand that it was the sort of mistake you make when you are young and stupid," he said in a statement. "It was at a time when I was very young and immature and before I had settled down with Coleen."
Rooney's representative Paul Stretford corroborated the accuracy of the statement.
Back in July 2021, snaps surfaced on social networks featuring Wayne dozing off in a basic UK hotel room armchair whilst girls wearing little more than their undergarments surrounded him. The photos were captioned with a mocking pun: "Mooney Rooney".
Reportedly, Rooney fell asleep, wholly oblivious to the photographs being taken without his permission, with the then 35 year old football star caught reclining upright in a chair, hands tucked away in his pockets.
It's important to clarify that there's zero accusation of Wayne engaging in any indecorous or improper conduct, and according to one of the girls' companions speaking to The Sun, there was no sexual interaction. Moving things stateside, the Rooney clan uprooted to the US when Wayne inked a deal with Major League Soccer's (MLS) DC United.
Sharing about his big move, Rooney relayed, "I think this is a great place to bring my family. I came over and had a look around."
Having been stateside previously, he toured anew to cement his judgement, ultimately deeming it the perfect spot for his loved ones to settle and grow.
The star expressed his preference for a quieter life: "I've been to Los Angeles and New York and it's too hectic for me. I've never fancied going to live in London. I need my own space to get away from things."
He added that moving to Washington gave him that much-needed breathing room, saying, "Washington gave me the opportunity to do that."
In a close scrape, he got into trouble back in December 2018. Wayne found himself arrested for public intoxication at Dulles Airport in Washington.
The incident was put down to him being disorientated after taking prescribed sleeping tablets along with alcohol. At the time, his wife Coleen was pregnant with their fourth child.
English (US) ·