Does Coleen Rooney STILL fear for her future with Wayne?

He hung up his international football boots in 2017, but last week former England captain Wayne Rooney bid farewell to playing the game and will now be the manager of Championship league team Derby County after securing a two-and-a-half year deal.

First to congratulate him was wife Coleen, 34 – mum to their sons Kai, 11, Klay, seven, Kit, four, and Cass, two – who posted, “Good luck in the next chapter of your career as manager, sure you’ll be great, but remember, all you can do is try your best.”

Football legend Gary Lineker praised the footballer, while Marcus Rashford thanked his former teammate for “making him feel so at ease” on his first day at Manchester United.

But as Wayne, 35, embarks on his new adventure, after 19 years playing on the pitch, he’ll face a huge test as he adjusts to life after retirement.

According to data from XPRO, a charity set up to help former footballers, two out of every five players go bankrupt within five years of retiring. The charity also reports that a third of players divorce within a year of ending their career. Meanwhile, the Professional Footballers’ Association welfare department reported a 40 per cent rise in current and former players using their service over the past four years. And research conducted by FIFPro found that a third of former footballers faced problems associated with depression and anxiety.

Now psychotherapist Noel McDermott tells Closer that Wayne will need support from Coleen – who will face nemesis Rebekah Vardy on a video call next month in a bid to settle their current “WAGatha Christie” libel showdown.

Their 12-year marriage has faced numerous ups and downs, including cheating claims and reports of Wayne’s love of partying. And although he has kept a more low-key lifestyle since the last scandal in August 2019, when he was pictured getting into a hotel lift with a mystery woman on a night out with his former DC United teammates, Noel says it’s only natural for Coleen to be concerned for his welfare.

Check out: Coleen and Wayne Rooney's relationship from the very beginning

He says, “This new chapter could cause drama between them both. These major life transitions can be stressful. It’s not necessarily the case that he’s going to behave the way he did again, but it may be that because of anxieties about their life change, Coleen starts to interpret behaviours in a certain way. My advice to them is to discuss openly any fears that they have.

“It’s a big change for them both, but having a new sense of responsibility may help, for example, by getting involved in more charity work together.”

Former footballer Clarke Carlisle, 41, opened up in 2016 about the emotional impact of quitting the sport, revealing he’d tried to take his own life. He said, “It’s difficult... Everything in your life is structured and all of a sudden that gets taken away.”

Aston Villa star Lee Hendrie spoke about his battle with depression following retirement in 2013, while former teammate Paul Merson revealed he’d struggled with alcoholism and gambling.

In 2017, Wayne reportedly lost £500k in a late-night gambling spree, and in 2006, allegedly settled a £700k gambling debt, which he was said to have run up over five months.

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Noel warns that Wayne needs to be aware of the heightened risks after retirement. He says, “It’s what we call transition shock and particularly affects men. Very often, retirement comes with losing status and the things that help give a sense of meaning, purpose and direction. There can be a big issue with loss of identity.

“With any major life change, there’s a risk of turning to coping mechanisms. For Wayne, with his experience of gambling, the regression could be serious. He and Coleen need to be aware of the risks. Coleen’s spent two decades invested in her husband’s career, so she may also have fears about what’s to come for them as a couple. When there’s change, the fear is that patterns in a marriage could be disrupted. The question is whether they’ll be able to adapt.”

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