Wayne Rooney Takes Legal Action Over Andy Carroll’s Claims
Wayne Rooney has instructed lawyers over claims in Andy Carroll’s upcoming autobiography that the former England captain organised drinking sessions on international duty.
Carroll’s book, Owning It, alleges that during England camps around 2010–2011, Rooney invited team-mates to his room to drink while on Three Lions duty. The 40-year-old Manchester United great has reacted furiously, sending a legal letter to the book’s publishers demanding the passage be removed.
According to a source close to Rooney, the accusations have cut deep.
“Wayne is livid. He’s not messing around,” the insider said. “His legal team have sent a strongly worded letter to the publisher. He wants it retracted as it is completely untrue. Wayne knows he’s no angel but this crossed the line. It’s a matter of principle.”
The move leaves Carroll facing the prospect of an expensive legal fight unless he backs down and edits the book. The same source suggested the former Newcastle and Liverpool striker has been rocked by the response.
“Andy is spiralling over the whole situation. He didn’t think for a second Rooney would kick off like this. Andy had a book to sell and now he’s in over his head. There may be a public apology coming unless he wants a legal battle on his hands.”
The row erupts at a crucial moment in Rooney’s post-playing career. Since hanging up his boots in 2018, he has stepped into management before moving into media work. He now appears regularly as a pundit on BBC’s Match of the Day and has agreed to front both a podcast and a gameshow.
He is also in advanced talks to join ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here, aiming to at least match the runner-up finish achieved by his wife, Coleen, on the show last year.
On top of that, a new Disney+ series, The Real Rooneys, is released on Thursday – the very same day Carroll’s autobiography hits the shelves, adding an extra layer of tension to the timing of the claims.
Those close to Rooney insist the allegations jar with the image he is working hard to project in this new phase of his life.
“Everything Wayne has been doing recently is marking a fresh chapter in his career,” the insider added. “He’s lost a lot of weight and cut out drinking — his old habits are firmly in the past. Andy accusing him of bad behaviour is the last thing he wants or needs.”
A fresh chapter, a new public profile, and now a legal fight looming over what really happened behind closed doors on England duty.
