"I just drank for two days straight, come [into] training and at the weekend I'd scored two goals and then I'd go back and go and drink for two days straight again,"
"Massively struggling, and I didn't think I could turn to anyone. I didn't really want to because I didn't want to put that burden on anyone."
"Alcohol hasn't gone anywhere. It's still there, it's still accessible,"
Wayne Rooney described periods of heavy drinking during his peak Manchester United years, drinking for days at a time while still performing on the pitch and feeling unable to seek help. Modern professional football now operates as a high-investment business with extensive support staff in nutrition, fitness, recovery and well-being, and some clubs use daily weighing and saliva tests to monitor players. Despite those resources, alcohol problems persist alongside newer issues such as gambling, gaming, excessive training, nitrous oxide use and snus. Player welfare professionals emphasize that alcohol remains accessible within the sport.
Read at ESPN.com
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