Wayne Rooney ‘may take legal action’ against Andy Carroll over claims in new book
Wayne Rooney is very upset about some claims in Andy Carroll’s new autobiography and wants them taken back because he says they’re “completely untrue,” according to a report that says he might take legal action.
Rooney and Carroll were teammates on England’s national team from 2010 to 2012 but only played together for 64 minutes in two games against Ukraine and Italy. In his book, Owning It, Carroll wrote that Rooney would invite players to his hotel room for a beer and a cigarette while on international duty.
The book says: “He’d have cartons of cigarettes, crates of beer, and bottles of wine (which the hotel manager brought to his room), and soon the room would fill up with players. No one got drunk; it was just Rooney’s way of passing the time with a few drinks.”
Rooney has since denied these stories. “I usually don’t respond to false things said about me, but I want to set this straight,” he told The Sun. “Andy knows that we never really hung out. I ran into him once by chance on holiday—that’s it. The story about me drinking on England duty is made up. I don’t know where it came from, and it’s disappointing.”
On the other hand, Carroll is said to be very surprised that Rooney is calling the story a lie. A source said, “This is how Andy remembers that night, and he won’t change his story just because someone else disagrees.”
The Sun reports that Rooney’s lawyers have sent a formal letter to the publisher of Carroll’s book, asking for the claims to be removed. A source said, “Wayne is furious. His legal team sent a strong letter, and he wants those parts taken out because they’re untrue. Wayne knows he’s not perfect, but this went too far—it’s about standing up for what’s right.”
Carroll is reportedly stressed over the situation and didn’t expect Rooney to react this way. The source added, “Andy just wanted to sell his book, but now he’s in trouble. He might have to apologize publicly unless he wants to face a legal fight.”