Boredom Made Me Gamble While I Played For Manchester United – Rooney

Former Manchester United captain, Wayne Rooney has talked about his early-career gambling problem, saying being bored and how bets could be placed easily added to the problem.

According to him, gambling was an issue while he played for Manchester United and England but he has quit the habit a long time ago.

He added that he only used betting to kill time and the cash he made did not feel like real money.

His words, “For an away game with Manchester United you stay in a hotel – and with England you’re in a hotel for seven to 10 days,”

“You get bored and do things to fill the time. At that time gambling was one of them.

“It was easy to place bets by phone. It didn’t feel like real money. It wasn’t like I had to go into a bookies and put bets where there are limits.

“Before you know it you’ve lost a good bit and you don’t realise the amount you’re putting on at the time. I won at the start and thought it was easy money. It sucks you in a bit more and I ended up losing, ended up down.

“I was chasing my bets trying to win my money back. You’re there to play for your country or club and when you’re losing money the way I was, then it will affect you.

“Thankfully I managed to pay up what I lost and I didn’t gamble again. I’ve learned from my mistakes. If you carry on gambling, you lose more. That’s when you can get sucked into a bad situation.”

He added that he is now ready to share his experience with his young Derby teammates.

His words, “I think it’s important that they understand the responsibility of the money they’re earning because they are earning a lot of money,”

“There is a responsibility for us as older players who’ve been through that experience to help them and guide them on that, whether it’s gambling, whether it’s money, how to look after their money.

“I think it’s important that they take that information in from whoever is willing to give them to help them.”