Charting out a successful career in football is a herculean task. And squeezing time for a long-term relationship and family is the cherry on top. Many successful football players of today have the love and support of a woman backing them up.
Whether one is the world’s richest footballer financially or not, having a wife and family really adds value to the otherwise hectic life of athletes. Many footballers have faced challenging phases in their marriages, and this includes David and Victoria Beckham. And there are some athletes who just breeze by in their marriages, such as Gareth Bale.
One way or the two, footballers and their wives make headlines. And following a similar route are Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen. Here’s everything you need to know about the couple and their relationship.
The early relationship
Wayne Rooney is a happily married man who celebrated his 15th anniversary earlier this year. Being one of the more popular football couples, the couple goes a long way back when they met when they were just 12 years old. Living in the same locality in Liverpool, Wayne, and Coleen started dating when they were just 16 years of age, as per Birmingham World.
Soon enough, Rooney made his way into pro football when he signed a contract with Everton. And since then, Coleen has been a regular fixture in Wayne’s matches, supporting him from the sidelines.
The proposal and marriage
While some people like to take their time, the Rooneys couldn’t wait to become official with their relationship. They tied the knot when they were 22 after Wayne proposed to Coleen at a petrol station. While the engagement might have been low-key, the engagement ring was far from it. Rumour has it that Wayne proposed with a £46,500 engagement ring to take his relationship to the next level.
Coleen said the following to Closer Magazine about their relationship and taking it to the next level.
“We want to spend the rest of our lives together and there’s no stronger commitment than getting married.”
This was followed by an extravagant wedding which took place on the Italian Riviera in Portofino. Italy is clearly a favorite when it comes to celebrity weddings, and this one lived up to the Italian wedding hype.
The life of Wayleen
Known as Wayleen, Wayne, and Coleen moved into a £1.3m mansion after the wedding. And went on to have 4 lovely children, one in 2009, and then one in 2013, and 2016, and their last born in 2018. While it might seem like a perfect love story, the couple have had their share of battles, but not quite so much with each other. Coleen faced turmoil recently, as she was involved in a legal case with Rebekah Vardy. As per British Vogue, Coleen said the following about her life.
“It’s been a battle at times, I look at [any] situation we’re in and think, ‘Could we move forward from that? Is it worth moving forward from that?’, I don’t just give up.
“Wayne and I had our ups and downs. Obviously everybody knows. It’s been hard to go through it in the public eye, but there has always been love there.”
Right now the couple are focussing on their legal battles, and Rooney’s new high-profile job as a coach that could displace the whole family to Birmingham. While it isn’t confirmed if Coleen and the kids will be moving to Birmingham, Wayne Rooney is all set to embrace the next phase of his career with this big move.
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