Wayne Rooney’s sacrifice for Coleen to keep their family together

His highly-anticipated Amazon Prime documentary is set to be released this week, in what is expected to be the most candid insight yet into Wayne Rooney’s personal and professional life.

Interest surrounding the self-titled documentary, Rooney, has been mounting since the release of a trailer, in which his wife Coleen, 35, looks set to address the footballer’s infamous indiscretions and cheating scandals over the years.

And friends say they are hoping their raw honesty will mark a fresh start, both for Wayne’s public persona and for their marriage, too.

A source says, “Wayne was initially hesitant about doing the programme, knowing how much criticism it could receive, not to mention putting their marriage back into the spotlight.

“But it was actually Coleen who inspired him to do it, in the hope that by finally laying everything on the table and being as honest about his past mistakes as possible, it’d help people see how far he’s come, how much he’s changed and how devoted he is to her and their family.”

In the trailer for the documentary, which shows a front-page tabloid story about him using a brothel, followed by a clip of their wedding day, the mum-of-four is heard apparently talking of their marriage crisis, saying, “I forgive him, but it wasn’t acceptable.”

The couple got together when Coleen was just 16 and Wayne was 17, but their relationship was soon fraught by scandal. In 2004, the then-teenage Wayne was caught on CCTV visiting a brothel 10 times. He later confessed to it, saying he had been “young and immature”.

Four years later, in 2008, Wayne and Coleen married. But shortly after, Wayne allegedly had a threesome with escorts Jenny Thompson and Helen Wood while Coleen was pregnant with their son Kai, now 12.

And in September 2017, while Coleen was pregnant with their fourth son, Cass, now three, Wayne was arrested and charged with drink-driving for being caught at the wheel of party-girl Laura Simpson’s car after leaving a club with her. She claimed they’d “had a kiss and cuddle” and Wayne publicly apologised to his family outside of court.

Despite everything, Coleen – also mum to sons Klay, eight, and Kit, six – has stood by her man. She admitted that she had come close to ending their marriage after the drink-driving scandal, but insisted that Wayne “doesn’t get portrayed for the person he is” – and that she stays with him as she loves him.

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While the documentary could prove a fresh start for the pair, sources say Wayne is prepared to make sacrifices to support Coleen in his professional life, too. He recently revealed that he turned down the chance to manage Everton – his first team, which he left in 2004 – out of loyalty towards his current role, leading beleaguered Derby FC. And insiders said his refusal to jump ship was in part inspired by his vow to make Coleen his number-one priority.

The source says, “While Coleen would have supported him if he’d moved back to Everton, Wayne knows how triggering that might have been for her given the years he spent there early on in their relationship when he was acting out – visiting brothels, drinking and partying. He doesn’t want to do anything that could dredge up more pain and heartache into her life. By staying with Derby, he’s also trying to prove that he’s a changed man who no longer runs away when things get tough.”

Recently, Wayne admitted to “sleeping on [his] couch in [his] office” at Derby, due to the pressures and workload of being a manager. And with Everton being in the league above Derby, insiders say he feared taking on the role would have meant he’d have spent even more time away from his family – another reason he turned down the offer.

The source explains, “Being a first-league manager would have carried a lot of responsibilities, Everton has more fans to keep happy, and he knows that being manager of his first club would have put him in the spotlight more and it’s likely it would have taken him away from home more too, as he’d have been attending more events and doing more big TV interviews. Turning it down was a big sacrifice for his marriage – as is doing the documentary – but he’s willing to do it for Coleen. He’s eager to do whatever it takes to keep their family together.”

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And insiders say Coleen hopes that Wayne’s revelations on Rooney will help them finally move on from his mistakes.

“Coleen is fully aware that fans might question why she would stay with Wayne, after everything he’s put her through,” the source says. “But she’s hoping that through the documentary, people will also see what really goes on behind closed doors, so they can understand why she has stood by him. She hopes they can draw a line under the past.

“After telling Wayne it could work in their best interest, he agreed wholeheartedly. And owning up to his mistakes and taking full responsibility is his way of proving to her that it’ll never happen again.”

As the couple move into their new Cheshire mansion, their marriage – once said to be “hanging by a thread” – seems to be firmly back on track.

In recent months, Coleen appears to have carved-out a new identity for herself – undergoing an image overhaul, acquiring a new circle of friends and embarking on a journey of self-discovery in a reported bid to relaunch her career.

The source continues, “Wayne used to bury his head in the sand instead of confronting his mistakes head-on, so his honesty and willingness to not only address it himself but allow Coleen to openly discuss it, is him wanting to take a stand and show responsibility for his actions.

“Over the last few months, Coleen has seen more than ever just how true he’s been to his word. It’s further confirmed that her decision to stand by him was the right one.”

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Expert: ‘They’re showing their strength’

Closer’s psychological therapist, Emma Kenny, believes that, although Coleen may be feeling “anxious” over the documentary’s revelations, she and Wayne are very much united in their approach.

She says, “Coleen has been criticised for standing by Wayne in the past, so she’s likely to be feeling anxious about the possibility of a backlash from the documentary. It’s also likely to expose difficult times in their relationship, and nobody likes being faced with those. But while I think the show will contain some hard truths, Wayne and Coleen are coming from a position of strength. They’ve come through the hard times and they want to show their marriage is good, because they know it is.

“I think this documentary is really important for them. The public question their relationship because they’ve managed to somehow overcome difficult times and remain pretty united. But showing their true family dynamic and giving people a glimpse into areas of their life that we don’t usually get to see will be a blessing for them. It lets people know that Wayne has admitted to his mistakes, and that Coleen has been hurt – but that she’s overcome it because she knows her family is worth fighting for.”