By Tim Parsons-
Wayne Rooney has been charged with drink-driving, after being stopped by Cheshire Police around 02.00 BST.
The 31 year old Everton striker was arrested in his black VW Beetle on Altrincham Road, Wilmslow. Rooney, who has quit international football was released on bail and due to appear at Stockport Magistrates’ Court later this month.
Rooney, who retired from the national team last month is the record goal scorer for the English national team and for his Everton club. The top player joined the Everton youth team at the young age of 9 before making his professional debut in 20012 at the age of 16.
After two seasons, Rooney was bought by Manchester United for £25.6 m where he won 16 trophies for the club including ive premiere league titles, F.A club, and champions league. An experienced and accomplished player, Rooney has enjoyed endorsements by Nike, Nokia, Fords, Asda, and Coca Cola, was dropped by coca cola following lurid allegations about his private life. The footballer admitted to soliciting prostitutes in 2004 whilst dating his eventual wife, Coleen Rooney. Rooney was also later accused of paying television personality Helen Wood £1,000 for a threesome with her and Jeniffer Thompson in a Manchester hotel whilst his wife was three months pregnant.
The popular footballer became the first player to reach 10 million followers on social media , maintaining a huge fan base because of his prolific goal scoring. He is expected to be a role model, instead Rooney has a history of misconduct that would lead every responsible parent to urge their children not to follow his example off the pitch. Drink drivers constitute a serious hazard for motorists and have caused several deaths on roads including motorways. Rooney of all people disgraces the sport in which he ought to be a shining star, but over the years has demonstrated a lack of respect for principle conduct , in the case the law of the land. Rooney could easily afford to hire a driver every times he chooses to drink, his decision to go behind the wheels when over the limit is hugely disappointing.
Footballers seem to give their sport a bad name, given the long list of players caught in acts of infidelity, drunkenness, and sexual misconduct . John Adams was jailed in 2016 for sexual activity with an under aged girl, and Ryan Giggs was exposed and heavily criticised for having an 8 year affair with his brother’s wife, Natasha Giggs. British footballers are known to be overpaid, but have one of the biggest following in sport today. Rooney will be expected to unreservedly apologise for his drink driving, but may receive a driving ban for it which may teach him a lesson and serve as a warning to other footballers. Footballers who want to enjoy driving their fast and expensive cars must learn to obey the rules and not drive when they have had a drinking. It will cost them peanuts to pay somebody to drive them on each occasion they want to go out and drink.
British footballers are the worst behaved sportsmen in Britain, they produce more law breakers than in any other sport. The FA need to do more to re-iterate the high standards expected of them when off the pitch. Many players are too egoistic to listen to good advise, hopefully the strong hands of the law will put them straight and remind them that money and fame can’t buy evasion from justice.