Everton star Wayne Rooney charged with drink driving following 2am arrest

Everton striker Wayne Rooney has been charged with drink-driving after he was arrested in the early hours of Friday [1 September] morning.

Rooney, who last week announced his decision to retire from the England national team, was stopped by police just after 2am [BST] in Cheshire after a night out. The former Manchester United captain was arrested but has since been released on bail.

The news emerges on the day of England's first match without their all-time top goal scorer in a World Cup qualifier against Malta on Friday evening.

A statement from Cheshire police read: "Cheshire police has charged a man with drink-driving following a vehicle stop in Wilmslow.

"The man was arrested shortly after 2.00am today, Friday 1 September, after officers stopped a black VW Beetle on Altrincham Road, Wilmslow.

"Wayne Rooney, aged 31, of Collar House Drive, Prestbury, has since been charged with driving whilst over the prescribed limit. Rooney has been released on bail and is due to appear at Stockport Magistrates' Court on 18/9/2017."

IBTimes UK have also contacted Rooney's publicists Monk PR who are yet to issue a comment.

Rooney, 31, left Manchester United after a 13-year spell at Old Trafford this summer to return to boyhood club Everton. The forward still lives in the Cheshire area with wife Coleen and three children, Kai, Klay and Kit following his summer return to Goodison Park.

Rooney retired from international duty having scored 53 goals in 119 appearances for his country in order to focus on his club career. His decision came despite England boss Gareth Southgate planning to select him in his squad for September's World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia.

Since returning to the blue half of Merseyside, he scored in Everton's opening two matches of the Premier League season against Stoke City and Manchester City.

In November 2016, Rooney apologised for his "inappropriate" behaviour following reports he and several other members of the England camp gate-crashed a wedding party after celebrating a victory over Scotland.

Pictures emerged of England's all-time most capped outfield player posing with wedding guests at The Grove Hotel in Watford, Hertfordshire alongside claims he had been drinking until 4:30am.

Rooney is not the first Premier League footballer to have been stopped under suspicion of drink-driving. Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino plead guilty to the charge in February 2017 after he was stopped by police behind the wheel of his Range Rover on Christmas Eve 2016. The Brazil international was fined £20,000 and banned from driving for year.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure meanwhile was fined £54,000 and banned for 18 months by Barkingside magistrates in December last year. The Ivory Coast international insisted he had not intentionally consumed alcohol, claiming he thought he was drinking diet cola without realising it was mixed with brandy.

Former England captain Ray Wilkins received a four-year ban from driving last year after he was found to be three times over the legal limit in London in July 2016.