Wayne Rooney Takes Legal Action Over Andy Carroll's Claims

Wayne Rooney has instructed lawyers over claims made about him in Andy Carroll’s upcoming autobiography, igniting a high-profile row between the former England team-mates.

The 40-year-old ex-England captain has sent a legal letter to the publishers of Carroll’s book, Owning It, after Carroll alleged that Rooney invited players to drink in his room during England camps around 2010-2011.

Those close to Rooney say he is furious and determined to force a climbdown.

“Wayne is livid. He’s not messing around,” a source told The Sun, explaining that his legal team have issued a strongly worded demand for the claims to be removed, insisting they are “completely untrue”. The insider added that while Rooney accepts he “knows he’s no angel”, he believes this allegation “crossed the line” and has become “a matter of principle”.

Carroll, the former Newcastle and Liverpool striker, now finds himself staring at the prospect of an expensive legal fight unless he backs down.

According to the same source, Carroll has been rocked by the scale of Rooney’s response. “Andy is spiralling over the whole situation. He didn’t think for a second Rooney would kick off like this. Andy had a book to sell and now he’s in over his head,” they said, suggesting a public apology may be on the way if he wants to avoid a courtroom showdown.

The timing could hardly be more combustible. Rooney is in advanced talks to join ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here, with the former Manchester United star said to be keen to at least match wife Coleen’s runner-up finish on the show last year.

Since hanging up his boots in 2018, Rooney has tried to carve out a new life beyond the touchline. After a stint in management, he has moved into broadcasting, landing a role on BBC’s Match of the Day and agreeing to front both a podcast and a gameshow.

His reinvention steps up again this week. The Real Rooneys, a new Disney+ series charting his and Coleen’s lives, is released on Thursday – the very same day Carroll’s book hits the shelves.

Those around Rooney insist that is no coincidence in his anger. They say he has worked hard to present a very different version of himself to the public.

“Everything Wayne has been doing recently is marking a fresh chapter in his career,” the insider said. They claim he has shed significant weight, cut out drinking and left “his old habits firmly in the past” – which is why Carroll’s accusations of boozy behaviour in England camps are seen as not just damaging, but intolerable.

For Rooney, the battle is now about reputation as much as recollection. For Carroll, it is about how much of his story he is prepared to stand by once the lawyers get involved.