Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has recalled a hilarious story involving one of his first meetings with a 16-year-oldWayne Rooney in a Merseyside nightclub.
The England and Manchester United skipper has come under scrutiny after being pictured drunk at a wedding after party following the Three Lions' 3-0 World Cup qualifier victory over Scotland at Wembley.
However, in his column in theDaily Mail, Carragher has come to the defence of Rooney, suggesting that he has always liked a drink, but that it has never hampered his performances on the pitch, using a humorous story back from over 10 years ago to prove his point.
"It is no secret that Wayne likes a drink, as I can testify about the first time I met him." Carragher wrote.
"It was 2002 and I was in a nightclub in Liverpool. Wayne was just about to make his debut for Everton but he was full of confidence and he told me with absolute certainty what he was going to do to me in his first derby game!
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"It's been 14 years since that meeting but, with five Premier League titles, the FA Cup, a Champions League and 119 England caps, he hasn't done too badly, has he?"
The 31-year-old has been backed by both his manager - Jose Mourinho - and the club's fans after the incident, but still came out and apologised for his actions after the news spread in the media, fearing for his captaincy of his country under interim boss Gareth Southgate.