English football star Wayne Rooney was arrested in December at Dulles Airport outside Washington, D.C. in the U.S. for public intoxication, according to local police.
Rooney, who has played for U.S. football club DC United since last year, was booked into the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on Dec. 16, on a charge of public intoxication.
The charge stemmed from an arrest by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police, the local sheriff’s office said.
The 33-year-old Rooney was released later the same day on a personal recognisance bond, said Kraig Troxell, a spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
It was not immediately clear why authorities had delayed details of Rooney’s arrest for more than two weeks.
Rooney’s agent could not be reached immediately for comment.
Also, DC United did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rooney, England’s former captain and all-time top goalscorer, joined the Major League Soccer (MLS) club in mid-2018 in a deal that was reportedly worth more than $12 million.
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It made him the highest paid player in DC United’s history.
Liverpool-born Rooney was the latest addition to an elite list of former England captains to hop across the Atlantic, following David Beckham and Steven Gerrard.
Rooney burst into the consciousness of English football when he made his English Premier League debut for Everton at age 16.
He joined Manchester United for $35 million in 2004 and stayed there for 13 seasons.
There, the forward won five English titles, one UEFA Champions League, one FA Cup, three League Cups and became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer with 253 goals.
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