Wayne Rooney’s wife Coleen allegedly has concerns over the gambling connections involved in his transfer to Derby County.
The former England and Manchester United captain will join the Rams in January when his contract with Major League Soccer outfit DC United expires.
Rooney will pocket a £90,000-a-week salary for his player-coach role, but it is shirt sponsors 32Red rather than the Championship club that will cover the cost of those wages.
United and England’s all-time leading goalscorer has also taken the number 32 squad number and his signing was heralded by the use of the social media hashtag #Rooney32 – both references to his commercial arrangement with Derby’s main sponsor.
Tabloid newspaper The Sun reports that Coleen is furious with the arrangement.
Her husband was reported to have blown up to £1m playing roulette, blackjack and other casino games in just a few hours at Manchester’s 235 Casino in 2017.
More than a decade earlier he wrote about his poor decision-making when it comes to gambling in his autobiography.
In the 2006 book, he wrote: “I had an idea I was doing badly and did what most gamblers do.
“I chased my bets and tried to recoup my losses by putting on bigger sums.”
With tight regulations now in place banning betting on football by those on the game, Rooney’s gambling is likely to be restricted to horse racing and casino games. Given the negative publicity regarding his previous visits to casinos, an online casino would be a more private option for Rooney.
Coleen is reportedly concerned that Rooney’s close business relationship with a gambling company might encourage him into betting more regularly. The former Everton man is expected to be required to give a weekly interview to 32Red’s in-house media team as part of the arrangement, and it remains to be seen what other demands will be placed upon him when he returns to the UK.
