Wayne Rooney has rejected claims by former England teammate Andy Carroll that he drank alcohol and smoked cigarettes while the pair were on international duty, calling the story a “fabrication.”
The dispute follows the publication of Carroll’s autobiography, “Owning It”, in which the former England striker describes an alleged night involving Rooney and other players during an England camp around 2010 or 2011.
Carroll wrote that Rooney invited players to his hotel room, where there were beer, wine and cigarettes. He described the gathering as a way for players to relax and break the routine of international football. Carroll said the players were not getting heavily drunk, but were simply having a few drinks.
Rooney has strongly disputed that version of events. He said he would normally ignore stories about himself that he believes are inaccurate, but decided to respond because of the specific allegation about drinking while representing England.
“I don’t normally comment on falsehoods written about me – but I will address this one,” Rooney said.
He also questioned Carroll’s description of their relationship, saying the two did not regularly spend time together away from football. Rooney said he had only bumped into Carroll once by chance while on holiday.
Rooney also directly rejected the claim that he drank alcohol while on England duty.
“As for this ‘tale’ about me drinking on England duty, it’s a fabrication. I don’t know where the story comes from. It’s disappointing,” he said.
Carroll, however, has not withdrawn his account. A friend of the former striker said Carroll was surprised by Rooney’s denial and continues to stand by what he wrote in the autobiography.
According to the friend, Carroll believes the incident happened as he remembers it and has no reason to invent the story. The friend also said Carroll would not change his account simply because Rooney has challenged it.
The same source said the autobiography went through editorial and legal checks before it was published. That does not settle the dispute, however. It only indicates that the book was reviewed before publication.
Rooney and Carroll were both part of the England setup during their playing careers, but they have given very different accounts of how close they were and what happened during the alleged gathering.
For now, the disagreement comes down to two conflicting versions of an event said to have taken place more than a decade ago. The report provides no independent evidence that establishes whether Carroll’s account or Rooney’s denial is accurate.
