They’re loving mothers married to successful footballers, and are unafraid to speak their minds. But it seems that’s where the similarities between Coleen Rooney and her arch nemesis Rebekah Vardy end. Pictures of the former pals that surfaced last week tell a story of two WAGs living in very different worlds.
Rebekah, 37, beamed as she arrived with her kids and six-week-old daughter Olivia to watch husband Jamie, 33 – who (at time of going to press) is the Premier League’s top goal-scorer and whose team, Leicester City, are third in the top flight – play against Chelsea.
In stark contrast, Coleen, 33, posted pictures on Instagram playing referee to her four sons at bath-time while her husband Wayne, 34, continues his role as a player/coach for Championship side Derby County.
And pals say seeing Rebekah on top – following the “WAGatha Christie” scandal in October in which Coleen accused her fellow WAG’s Instagram account of leaking stories about her (something Rebekah has denied) – has made Coleen nostalgic for her old life.
A source says, “Coleen adores being a mother – she lives for her kids. But, naturally, she also misses that period when Wayne was at the top of his game and she was at the centre of things.
“Although there are perks with a quieter life, there are things Coleen misses. She had a high-profile media career, including her own TV show, was a style advisor for Littlewoods, and even had a column in Closer.
"She can’t help but think Rebekah has got everything she wants and occasionally she craves her old life back. It can make her a little jealous.”
Check out: a look back at Coleen and Wayne Rooney's relationship from their teenage years to now
Wayne and Coleen Rooney's relationship timeline - slider
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Even though they first met at school when they were 12, Wayne and Coleen first started dating after they finished school at the age of 16.
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At just 17 Wayne joined Everton football club and even though they'd only been dating a year Coleen admitted that they had already discussed getting married.At the time she admitted: "We want to spend the rest of our lives together and there's no stronger commitment than getting married."
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The happy couple got engaged in 2003 at a petrol station after Wayne got down on one knee. He asked his childhood sweetheart to spend the rest of their lives together with a £46,500 engagement ring.
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Coleen discovered that Wayne slept with a 48-year-old nan in a brothel back in 2002
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The WAG then defended her fiancé and admitted when he cheated they hadn't slept together yet. She added, "we weren't having that kind of relationship at that stage."
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Wayne and Coleen looked totally loved up at a public event a year before they got married
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At the age of 22, Wayne and Coleen tied the knot in a church in Italy!
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2009 – A year after their wedding, the happy couple welcomed their first child Kai into the world
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Just a year after they had their first child it was alleged that while Coleen was pregnant, Wayne cheated with prostitutes Jennifer Thompson and Helen Wood.
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Even though Coleen and Kai moved out of their family home following the allegations, the married couple put their troubles aside and reunited.
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The happy couple look so adorable with their son Kai while they await the arrival of their second child
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The Rooney's welcomed their second baby into the world – Klay
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In 2016, the Rooney family welcome baby Kit into the world
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During the summer holidays Coleen denied being pregnant after this photo emerged (even though she was)
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After denying her pregnancy for weeks the happy couple soon confirmed the exciting news - that they're having their fourth child!
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It was shortly after the Rooney's announced they're having their fourth child that Wayne was pictured and arrested for drunk driving.
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Things went from bad to worst after it came to light that Wayne was driving Laura Simpson's car. She then spoke out and claimed that they "had a kiss, a hug, some banter, harmless fun".
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It was then reported that Coleen along with her sons had fled from the family home after revealing her marriage was over.
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Following the scandal, Wayne received a driving ban for two years following his arrest and Laura appeared on This Morning to deny ever cheating with the footballer.
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After weeks of speculation around the couples marriage, it appeared that all was forgiven and forgotten as it was reported that the pair were planning on renewing their wedding vows.
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Coleen then surprised everyone by being totally honest in a Facebook post and admitted that although she's been through a "shit time" she decided to forgive her husband because she wants to "try and continue our marriage and live as a family".
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In February 2018 the Rooney family got even bigger as the happy couple welcomed their fourth child into the world - baby Cass!Yup. They broke their tradition with names beginning with 'K' but the little is adorable so who cares, ey?
When the “WAGatha” scandal first hit, Coleen was heralded for her detective work, planting fake stories to see which friend’s Instagram account had seen them.
The source says, “Coleen had felt so betrayed that someone close to her was selling stories, so she was relieved when she finally thought she knew who the culprit was.”
But pals say Coleen didn’t anticipate how things would pan out. Many fans and celebrities, including Robbie Williams, jumped to Rebekah’s defence. The source adds, “She enjoyed the positive attention she received at the beginning, but regrets how the tables ended up turning, and now she wants to draw a line under it.”
Instead of shying away from the scandal, Rebekah – who was heavily pregnant at the time – spoke out about the trolling she endured as a result of Coleen’s accusations, saying, “I have been told that I should die, that my children should die, that my unborn child should die.”
And, in an unexpected twist, Rebekah found herself bombarded with offers of work. She added 50,000 Instagram followers within days of Coleen’s accusations, and landed a TV Christmas special testing children’s toys with Phillip Schofield, alongside her husband Jamie. Red-carpet invites poured in, and she even made the VIP guest-list for the Pride of Sport Awards in London in December.
“If you’d have told Rebekah that things would turn out like this three months after the Coleen row, she wouldn’t have believed you,” the source adds.
By contrast, Coleen’s career has remained low-key. Recently spotted plugging yoga lessons on Instagram, she rarely attends red carpet events or appears on TV.
The source adds, “Coleen has made no secret of wanting to get back on TV at some point, but at the moment it’s just not happening. When it comes to endorsements and offers, Rebekah seems to be ahead of her in the queue.
"Rebekah’s very much in-demand for panel shows and guest newspaper columns, and there’s talk of more TV work over the summer. Becky might not have thought it at the time, but being caught up in the whole saga with Coleen might be the best thing that happened to her. Life is great – she and Jamie have never been happier.”
While Coleen and Wayne – who share sons Kai, 10, Klay, six, Kit, three, and Cass, one – are united, despite repeated claims of his cheating during their 12-year marriage, pals say Coleen would love a daughter, to complete their family.
The source says, “Coleen and Wayne would love to have what Rebekah has – a daughter. Coleen had so many dreams when she first started out and Wayne’s career took off. But all of the allegations about him make her feel that she’s not always leading the life she dreamed of.”
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As Closer previously reported, Coleen was also upset when Wayne didn’t publicly defend her following her fall-out with Rebekah, in contrast to how Jamie unfollowed Wayne on social media. The source says, “Wayne and Jamie are very different people. Wayne’s always been quite shy, and Jamie’s more outgoing. Wayne supported Coleen behind closed doors,
but she wishes he’d be a bit more like that in public, too. In a way, it feels as if Coleen has been left as a bit of a pantomime villain, and she’s not going to settle for that. She’ll do whatever it takes to come back on top.”
You can read more celebrity news in this week's Closer magazine - out now.