Wayne Rooney Takes Legal Action Against Andy Carroll's Autobiography

Wayne Rooney has instructed lawyers over claims in Andy Carroll’s forthcoming autobiography, setting up a potential legal showdown between the former England team-mates.

The 40-year-old ex-England captain has sent a formal legal letter to the publishers of Carroll’s book, Owning It, objecting to allegations that he organised drinking sessions in his room while on Three Lions duty around 2010–2011.

Carroll alleges that Rooney, then the star of the England set-up and already a Manchester United icon, invited players to his room to drink during international training camps. Rooney’s camp insists the account is false and wants the passage removed before publication.

An insider close to Rooney said he is furious and fully prepared to escalate the matter if necessary. The source said Rooney views the claim as a step too far, stressing that while he accepts his past is not spotless, this allegation crosses a line and has become a point of principle.

The legal letter, described as strongly worded, has left Carroll facing a stark choice: retract and potentially apologise, or risk a costly court battle. Those around the former Newcastle and Liverpool striker say he has been rocked by the strength of Rooney’s response and now finds himself under intense pressure just days before his book is released.

Carroll’s autobiography and Rooney’s latest major media project are set to collide on the same day. Owning It is due out Thursday, the very day Disney+ launches The Real Rooneys, a new series following Wayne and his wife Coleen.

Rooney has been carefully rebuilding and reshaping his public image since retiring from playing in 2018. After stints in management, he has moved into broadcasting with a role on BBC’s Match of the Day, while also agreeing to front a podcast and a gameshow. He is also in advanced talks to join ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here, and is said to be keen to at least match Coleen’s runner-up finish on last year’s edition.

Those close to him say this legal row arrives at the worst possible time. Rooney has shed significant weight, cut out drinking and is intent on presenting a more disciplined, settled version of himself as he enters a new phase of his career. Being dragged back into accusations of old off-field behaviour is exactly the kind of distraction he wants to avoid.

For Carroll, what began as a headline-grabbing anecdote to help sell a book now threatens to become a courtroom drama. For Rooney, it is about protecting a hard-fought new chapter. One way or another, something will have to give before the first copies hit the shelves.