Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney at an interview before a friendly match against Real Betis on July 28.
Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images
  • Former Manchester United player Wayne Rooney has apologized for raunchy photos of him at a private party.
  • The photos started circulating last weekend, but it is unclear when they were taken.
  • Some of the photos appear to show Rooney asleep with several young women around him.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Former English soccer star Wayne Rooney apologized to his family and the club he currently manages, Derby County, for several images of him at a private party circulating on social media last weekend.

The photos appear to show the former Manchester United player asleep close to several young women. One image shows a man of a similar build as Rooney kissing an unknown woman. It is unclear when the photos were taken.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Rooney said he "made a mistake" and had been with two friends at a private party when the photos were taken.

"I'd like to apologize to my family and the club for the images which were going round. And I want to move forward on this," he said. Rooney is currently the manager for Derby County, a club in the English Football Championship, the UK's second-highest football league.

He added that he was grateful to his employer for the "opportunity to get this club back to where it belongs" and that the situation has been "dealt with."

Rooney, 35, retired from professional play in January after being a player-coach at Derby County for one season. He also played in the US Major League Soccer for DC United from 2018 to 2019.

A top-scoring record-holder for the England national team and Manchester United, he earned $21 million a year in his prime. He and his wife Coleen, whom he met in secondary school, are known to be big spenders, reported Insider's Cork Gaines. The couple has four children together.

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