Wayne Rooney is warned by top psychotherapist he could become the next Paul Gascoigne or George Best
Steve Pope counselled the two troubled legends and fears the worst as Everton star Gazza faces a drink-drive charge
WAYNE ROONEY has been warned: You could become the next Gazza.
Top psychotherapist Steve Pope counselled Paul Gascoigne and George Best — and he fears the worst for Everton star Rooney.
The former England captain, 31, faces a drink-driving charge after he was nicked at 2am on Friday following a ten-hour binge.
That followed more booze- fuelled antics when he gatecrashed a wedding party while on Three Lions duty last November.
Pope said: “Wayne’s drink-driving charge is another example of how his life is out of control.
“He is showing all the signs of becoming another Gazza — or worse, another Best. He shows no signs of understanding the seriousness of his situation.
“Wayne needs to get a grip on his life and he needs help badly from those around him — his wife, his manager, his agent, his friends.
“If they don’t provide it they will be complicit in his destruction.”
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Pope spent many hours with Gascoigne, who became a friend as well as a patient as he battled alcohol addiction after retiring from football.
He revealed: “Gazza spent a lot of time with me back in the 90s.
“Once he said to me, ‘When you have just played in front of 60,000 people for Lazio then you go back to your flat afterwards there is just an emptiness. So you are always craving a substitute high’.
“Gazza also said to me, ‘Because you are always looking for that high — whether on the pitch or after the game — if there isn’t a crisis, you create one’.
“People like Gazza thrive on crises whether it be making crazy tackles or doing crazy things in their private lives.
“Those talks I had with him remind me now so much of Rooney. I can see the same problems developing.
“If you have scored with an incredible overhead kick against Manchester City as he did for United, you don’t just switch off.
“People like Wayne get hooked on highs.
“And so you go for lazy highs like drinking or gambling. And once you start that the downward spiral has begun.
“What I predict for Wayne unless he changes his habits is that doom and gloom will envelope him when his career ends.”
Pope, who is also qualified as a counsellor, still recalls with sadness his conversations with football legend Best, who was 59 when he died in 2005.
Pope added: “George was the classic example of an addict.
“He knew what addiction was. He understood it. But he refused to come to terms with it.
FA sweet on tribute
FA CHIEFS will press on with plans for a tribute to Wayne Rooney despite his drink-drive charge.
England’s record scorer, with 53 goals in 119 appearances, retired from internationals a fortnight ago just as boss Gareth Southgate planned to recall him.
Talks over a fitting tribute at a future England game have not yet started but there is no indication they will now be scrapped.
“Even on his second liver he was still drinking. Killing himself.
“That is not what I want to see happen with Wayne Rooney.”
Stars who have gone off the rails
PAUL GASCOIGNE
ITALIA 90 hero struggled with the fame which came his way. Gazza battled alcoholism and faced arrests for possession of cocaine, drunken assault and drink-driving.
DIEGO MARADONA
COCAINE addict Maradona was banned for 15 months at Napoli and axed by Argentina after failing drugs tests. He got a suspended jail sentence in 1998 for shooting at journalists with an air rifle.
KENNY SANSOM
ARSENAL and Three Lions legend became addicted to gambling and booze. He was homeless and pictured swigging bottles of wine on the street before going into rehab in January.
TONY ADAMS
ARSENAL and England skipper was a big boozer throughout his career, and jailed for 58 days for drink-driving. Sober for 20 years now and founded Sporting Chance clinic to help others.
GEORGE BEST
BEST could not live with attention and temptations that followed him. Jailed for 12 weeks for assaulting a cop and drink-driving. Died in 2005, aged 59, due to multiple organ failure.
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