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Wayne Rooney is spotted being driven to training in Washington

Wayne Rooney is spotted being driven to training in Washington

Wayne Rooney has been spotted going to training just days after his livid wife Coleen flew to Washington to demand he quit the US after he was pictured partying with a mystery woman in Canada.

Footballer Rooney looked glum while he sat in the passenger seat of a white Audi 4x4 as he headed to training with his teammates in Washington.

The DC United star adorned a baseball cap and kept his head down while being taken to work by his driver, amid reports his furious wife Coleen flew to the US this weekend and told husband Wayne break his contract.

The 33-year-old is in hot water with his wife after he was pictured getting into a hotel lift with a mystery brunette after seven hours of partying in Vancouver, Canada last weekend. 

A downcast looking Wayne Rooney being driven to training from his Washington home when he was spotted

The footballer was pictured getting into a hotel lift with a mystery brunette after seven hours of partying in Vancouver, Canada last weekend

Rooney, pictured in the passenger seat of the white Audi 4x4, is in more hot water with wife Coleen

Rooney was celebrating a wild night out with his DC United teammates while Coleen was with their four sons at home in Cheshire

Rooney, pictured in the passenger seat going to training, was said to have been read the 'riot act' by wife Coleen

It included visits to two clubs, chatting with three girls and jumping into a hot tub at a friends flat. 

Coleen is understood to have flown to the US at the weekend, as sources close to the star said she was 'furious' with her husband over his antics.

She is said to have read Rooney the 'riot act' after the photographs of him on the night out emerged.

On Friday Coleen was spotted without her wedding ring while shopping near their home in Cheshire.

He is due to quit DC United in Washington at the end of the MLS season and join Derby County as a player coach in January.

But Coleen is said to have insisted he come back to the family home in Cheshire immediately to join her and their four children Kai, nine, Klay, six, Kit, three, and 16-month-old Cass.

A source told The Sun: 'Coleen went ballistic at Wayne for being so stupid again. She knows women are all over him on nights out so pleaded with him to stay out of trouble. 

In the latest controversy, Rooney joined team members to have dinner at a cafe at 10.30pm before partying in the VIP area of the Twelve West nightclub in the trendy Granville area of the British Colombian city. He was later pictured going into a hotel lift with a woman in a skimpy white jumpsuit

Images show the striker with his arms around a mystery brunette(left) inside one of two nightclubs he visited, before joining her in the back of a car (right)

Rooney chatted to the mystery brunette - who sported a skimpy white outfit and bough a tiny clutch bag - as the pair waited for a lift at the hotel

Later, the football ace is seen getting in a lift with a different woman, who was dressed in a white jumpsuit, at his team's Vancouver hotel

Derby-bound Wayne (pictured getting into the back of a taxi) sipped on rum and coke as he visited two nightclubs, chatted to multiple women, and had a dip  in a hot tub at friend's flat

'Coleen knew he was out that night but he missed out telling her about putting his arms around a woman in a nightclub and going back to his hotel with another.

'It makes her feel totally foolish — especially when he's vowed to start putting his family first.

'When she landed, Coleen told Wayne to just end his contract and go back to the UK with her. She wants him to just pay out and leave.

'They are so much happier at home and she just wants him to tell them to shove it.'

The photographs showed the striker with his arms around a mystery brunette inside one of two nightclubs he visited, before joining her in the back of a car.  

Hours after the photos of the former England captain, 33, emerged his wife Coleen, also 33, was spotted without her wedding ring while shopping near their home in Cheshire. 

Dressed in a pink T-shirt, gym leggings, and sliders, the WAG looked tense as she went out to buy food in Prestbury, Cheshire. Coleen was not wearing her wedding ring as she picked up cereal and butter. 

The photos emerged after Coleen reportedly removed it after demanding the former England striker go to rehab to stop drinking. 

Coleen picked up three boxes of cereal and a tub of Lurpack butter at her local co-op after photos emerged on her husband getting into a hotel lift with a mystery brunette in Vancouver 

Later, the football ace is seen getting in a lift with a different woman, who was dressed in a white jumpsuit, at his team's Vancouver hotel.

DC United were in the Canadian city last Sunday to play Vancouver, where they lost 1-0.

Earlier this week, Coleen, dressed in a pink T-shirt, gym leggings, and sliders, she went out to buy food in Prestbury, Cheshire near the family home.

Coleen was not wearing her wedding ring as she picked up cereal and butter.

She reportedly removed it after demanding the former England striker go to rehab to stop drinking.   

Derby-bound Wayne sipped on rum and coke as he visited two nightclubs in Vancouver, chatted to multiple women, and had a dip in a hot tub at friend's flat.

Reports surfaced recently that father-of-four vowed to go teetotal and have counselling to help him stay dry in a bid to save his marriage, but it appears he broke this promise during the celebrations last Sunday.

The Manchester United record goal scorer has been involved in a string of controversies involving alcohol, including an arrest for public intoxication at Dulles International airport in Washington DC last year.      

 Wayne (pictured on his night out in Vancouver last weekend) is set for a showdown with his wife Coleen after images of him partying on a night out emerged

Wayne Rooney leaves the hotel the next morning in his team's tracksuit after he was spotted partying with mystery women

Rooney arrived at the hotel around 5.30am and was spotted in his club tracksuit leaving a few hours later

Wayne Rooney leaves the clubs with his teammates.  A source at the club said: 'They were put in a VIP area, where they do bottle service and close to where there are a couple of girls dancing on raised podiums. It looked like a boys' night out and the guys were having a few drinks and fist-bumping each other'

Rooney was later seen with teammate Frédéric Brillant leaving the club with two brunettes and a blonde, who all went into a limo together, where they reportedly went to another club before then heading to a barman's apartment to party in a hot tub

In the latest controversy, Rooney joined team members to have dinner at a cafe at 10.30pm before partying in the VIP area of the Twelve West nightclub in the trendy Granville area of the city.

A source at the club told the Sun: 'They were put in a VIP area, where they do bottle service and close to where there are a couple of girls dancing on raised podiums. 

'It looked like a boys' night out and the guys were having a few drinks and fist-bumping each other.

'Wayne spent a bit of time with his hoodie up and looking at his phone as he sat on the back of a sofa with his feet on the seat. 

'It looked like he was trying to be inconspicuous but some people recognised him, although not that many.'

Wayne, who has been married to childhood sweetheart Coleen for ten years, was later spotted chatting to a 'glamorous woman in her 20s' who was dressed in high heels and black leather trousers. 

'Wayne spent a bit of time with his hoodie up and looking at his phone as he sat on the back of a sofa with his feet on the seat. It looked like he was trying to be inconspicuous but some people recognised him, although not that many' a source said

The source added it looked as if the mystery woman knew who he was, and the pair 'spoke intensely' for 'long periods'.  

'It certainly seemed more than a bit of interaction with a fan who had come up to him. She was leaning into him and whispering stuff in his ear and he had his arms around her waist from behind at one point.

'They were together for more than an hour and danced a little bit although they didn't go on to the dance floor.'

Rooney was later seen with teammate Frédéric Brillant leaving the club with two brunettes and a blonde, who all went into a limo together, where they reportedly went to another club before then heading to a barman's apartment to party in a hot tub. 

The group (pictured) partied into the early hours before heading to the 34th floor of the Hyatt Regency, where the team were staying.

The mystery is spotted queuing for the twelvewest club in Vancouver's trendiest neighbourhood

Rooney signed for DC United last year, and has gone on to become the side's top scorer. Pictured: Wayne leaving the club

Rooney's success on the pitch has often been shadowed by other controversies, including his arrest back in December. Pictured: Rooney wearing a hoodie with a baseball cap on his latest night out

Rooney's hoodie sported the slogan 'Embrace all that scares you' as he wore his hood up and kept a cap on through the city

Wayne's wife Coleen is said to be hoping for a fresh start in England following numerous scandals. Pictured: Wayne walks through Vancouver on his latest night out

Rooney, pictured chatting to bouncers last weekend, is set to return to his native UK as a player coach for championship side Derby County in the new year

MailOnline has contacted Rooney's representatives for comments.  

The source added: 'They had fun but nothing inappropriate happened.'

The group partied into the early hours before heading to the 34th floor of the Hyatt Regency, where the team were staying.

Rooney was seen leaving the hotel a few hours later in his club tracksuit.

Meanwhile, wife Coleen is said to be hoping for a fresh start in England following numerous scandals her husband Wayne has been involved in including cheating, boozing and legal problems.

Rooney's move has been irked with controversy, and the midlands club has been urged to consider abandoning its sponsorship tie-up between Rooney and the online casino 32Red

Rooney appeared in good spirits with his teammates as they partied into the early hours

The mother-of-four was reported to have 'seized control' of her husband Wayne's return to England where she hopes to try for a fifth child. 

The footballer's wife has appeared in public without her wedding ring before as she often removes her ring when she goes to the gym. 

On Valentine's Day she was pictured looking angry as she left a nail salon in Washington DC without her wedding ring on.   

Rooney signed for DC United last year, and has gone on to become the side's top scorer. 

The team bus outside the hotel in Vancouver, where Rooney and the rest of DC United partied until the early hours

Rooney and his teammates are said to have gone back to the Hyatt Regency, where he was spotted going into a lift with a mystery woman

However, his success on the pitch has often been shadowed by other controversies, including his arrest back in December.

He is set to return to his native UK as a player coach for championship side Derby County in the new year.

His move has been irked with controversy, and the club has been urged to consider abandoning its sponsorship tie-up between Rooney and the online casino 32Red.

Sports minister Nigel Adams said putting the striker in the number 32 shirt in order to promote the Gibraltar-based betting company was a 'very crafty move'.

Three women, including the brunette Rooney was seen talking to in the club, and the woman he was spotted getting into the lift with, and a third mystery blonde, got into the back of the limo with the footballers

Being caught partying is the latest in a long list of drinking incidents for the former Manchester United and Everton striker

Rooney appeared uninterested in the bottle service in the club as he mingled with fans and teammates

Rooney was accused of 'selling his soul' after agreeing an 18-month contract worth £7.8million to return from America to play in England with the Championship club.

His image was used alongside '32'-branded posts on social media, and he will work with the casino on 'community initiatives' as part of the deal.

The club has refused to backtrack after being criticised by the Church of England, MPs and one of the NHS's top psychologists.

Being caught partying is the latest in a long list of drinking incidents for the former Manchester United and Everton striker.

Wayne Rooney warms up before a game against Vancouver earlier in the evening

On Wednesday, Coleen Rooney shared a sweet picture with her sons, Kai, nine, Kit, three and Cass, 18 months, got caught out in a thunderstorm. Coleen and the couple's four children are currently in the UK, while Wayne continues to play for DC United in the US

These included a court appearance for drink driving in 2017, when he drove party girl Laura Simpson, 30, in her VW Beetle in Cheshire while three times over the limit.

He was handed a two-year driving ban and 100 hours of unpaid community work, apologising for an 'unforgivable lack of judgement'.

Coleen, then pregnant, and their other three sons, Kai, Klay and Kit, were on holiday in Spain at the time.

In December he was taken into custody at Washington's Dulles airport, saying he was left 'disorientated' by prescribed sleeping tablets he took on a flight while drinking.

Reports surfaced recently that father-of-four vowed to go teetotal and have counselling to help him stay dry in a bid to save his marriage. He's been with Coleen (pictured together in July) since they were teenagers, and they've been married 10 years

Coleen is said to be hoping for a fresh start in England following numerous scandals her husband Wayne has been involved in (family pictured in May) 

Coleen and the four children lived in Washington with Wayne (pictured together) but have since moved back to the UK, ahead of Wayne's transfer to Derby

He received a statutory automatic fine and was released shortly afterwards at the airport, a spokesman for Rooney said.

In 2016 he was at the centre of another drinking row at a wedding reception between England games, later apologising 'unreservedly' for his behaviour.

It was reported in April 2017 that he had been seen drinking at least five pints of Stella at a Cheshire pub on a night out.

Rooney (pictured playing against the New York Bulls this week) chatted to a mystery woman who  knew who he was. A source said the pair 'spoke intensely' for 'long periods'

Coleen also shared an adorable snap of her four children as they sat arm in arm on a bench  while Dad Wayne plays in the US

In further embarrassment, his family's £20m mansion in Cheshire - which was ridiculed as looking like a Morrisons - stands unfinished after two-and-a-half years but will be completed before his return to the UK.  

During the game before the big night out, Rooney was heard yelling 'every f***ing game' at the referee as he was subbed late in the game. 

The following day, he tweeted his anger at the team's travel arrangements.

Rooney said: 'Looking forward to a 12-hour travel day which could be done in 6 but hey this is MLS.'

Wayne Rooney was accused by MPs of 'selling his soul' after agreeing an 18-month contract to play for Championship club Derby County

Coleen is said to be hoping for a fresh start in England following numerous scandals her husband Wayne has been involved in including cheating, boozing and legal problems. The mum-of-four was reported to have 'seized control' of her husband Wayne's return to England where she hopes to try for a fifth child

Rooney's image was used alongside '32'-branded posts on social media, and he will work with the casino on 'community initiatives' as part of the deal (pictured, Rooney with his new number 32 shirts) 

Being caught partying is the latest in a long list of drinking incidents for the former Manchester United and Everton striker. The striker is known to enjoy a drink, left in 2014, right in 2017

Wayne Rooney drinking at the May Fair Hotel in London in 2010

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Poundland could disappear from the High Street within days as Andy Burnham asks questions over how its owners handled a sales process.

Thousands of nervous staff are waiting to hear what will happen to the discount retailer after it filed a notice to appoint administrators with the High Court today. 

This will give the business, bought by US investment firm Gordon Brothers for less than £1 last year, some breathing room – ten days – to find a rescue deal. AlixPartners is poised to take over a potential insolvency process.

But the Poundland brand and its 600 shops will not be sold as a whole, leading to a carve-up of the 36-year old retailer, meaning jobs are at risk at any shops that are not bought. 

And on Thursday night, the Prime Minister said he is ready to demand answers from owners amid a 'deeply worrying time' for staff and their families. 

Burnham told The Telegraph: 'We want to see jobs protected. If there was a potential owner to avoid this that hasn’t been accepted, then the Business Secretary and I want to know why that is the case.'

Battle for survival: The fate of Poundland's near 12,000 staff hangs in the balance.

It would mark the biggest high street collapse since Debenhams closed its doors in 2021 with the loss of 12,000 jobs. 

Job losses could hit 600 shops and a distribution centre in Makerfield, Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s constituency, which employs around 270 people.

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds also said he was ‘very much concerned’ and would push for answers as workers and bosses seethe over its failure to find a buyer.

He told The Telegraph: ‘If it is true that it was not necessary to put the business into administration then the present owners will have to account for that.’

Why has Poundland struggled? 

Chains like Poundland are battling shoppers with constrained budgets while costs, such as employing people, have increased – following Government moves to hike wages and employer National Insurance contributions. Savvier shoppers are looking for cheaper online alternatives, including Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop.

Former owners, the Warsaw-listed Pepco Group, made some wrong moves that did not go down well with its customers, including putting Pepco clothing in its shops.

Its most recent woes stem back to last year, when it narrowly avoided collapsing into administration. The chain was sold in June 2025 to US firm Gordon Brothers for a nominal €1 amid 'challenging trading conditions'.

By November 2025, around 100 Poundland shops had been shut or earmarked for closure. Two months later, as part of its radical turnaround plan, Poundland had shut 149 stores with 2,200 job losses.

But this year, Poundland bosses insisted it was turning a corner, pointing to like-for-like sales growth of 3.3 per cent in the three months to September 26.

Poundland's managing director Barry Williams said earlier this month: 'Our recovery plan is working, thanks to our investment in simple low pricing and new ranges, powered by our new in-house teams.'

Why is there a dispute between Poundland’s owners and its bosses?

Both shop workers’ union Usdaw and Poundland’s management have accused Gordon Brothers of mishandling a sales process, which it kicked off at the beginning of September.

The union met with the minister for the future of work, Kate Dearden, on Wednesday, amid warnings of what would be the biggest High Street collapse in years.

Three directors, appointed less than a fortnight ago, this week walked out following a dramatic dispute with owners Gordon Brothers.

Hours later the retailer’s management hit out at the owners, calling the process ‘unexpected, unwanted and avoidable’.

Government adviser David Bickerton is set to ask ‘fairly basic questions of senior people around Poundland’ in order to ‘establish what the situation is,’ on behalf of the business secretary, the Financial Times reported.

What does a notice to appoint administrators mean?  

‘Filing a notice of intention isn’t administration itself,’ explains Julie Palmer, managing partner at real estate advisory group BTG.

Instead, it effectively keeps the wolves from the door for up to ten business days of protection and helps the firm preserve cash.

She added: ‘If an appointment follows, the administrators take control of the company from the directors. Their first duty is to try to rescue it as a going concern. 

'If that isn’t possible, they aim for a better result for creditors than liquidation would give. In practice that usually means a sale, either of the whole business or in parts. For staff and customers, stores normally keep trading while that happens, but the risk is that the business is broken up, with stronger stores sold and weaker ones closed.’

Who could buy the shops?

Owner Gordon Brothers rejected a takeover offer from Irish real estate firm Martin Property Group – despite management and unions arguing this was the best deal on the table.

This would have been for the whole business, including its brand and full store estate.

But now it seems like other major retailers, especially those with grand expansion plans, could pick up some shops from Poundland.

The owner of The Range, Homebase and Wilko – known as Britain’s ‘Del Boy Billionaire’ – is thought to be interested. Chris Dawson, 74, who runs CDS Superstores, acquired the Wilko brand out of administration in 2023.

Dawson got his nickname, the 'Del Boy billionaire', via the press as a reference to his yellow Lamborghini Urus, which has a personalised number plate 'DE11 BOY', a homage to the character Del Boy Trotter from the classic TV show Only Fools and Horses.

Dawson started his career as a market trader, before founding The Range and scaling it to a major high street chain. He has since acquired Wilko and Homebase out of administration.

Chris Dawson, 74, runs CDS Superstores, which owns The Range, Homebase and Wilko

Poundstretcher owner Fortress is also understood to be looking at buying shops. The rival discount retailer runs more than 300 shops in the UK.

Supermarket Lidl also hopes to be able to snap up some of its stores if the retailer fails to sell the whole company. The discounter is pushing ahead with a major expansion mission.

TG Jones owner is also understood to be interested in buying parts of the Poundland business.

The private equity group owns Britain's WH Smith shops, now known as TG Jones stores and previously bought ailing accessories chain Claire's, Hobbycraft and The Original Factory Shop.

All Claire's standalone shops in the UK and Ireland stopped trading earlier this year after its financial woes saw it fall into administration twice in a year.

Are shops open and will staff be paid?

Poundland shops are currently open and operating business as usual.

But Poundland's managing director Barry Williams wrote a letter to around 12,000, accusing the retailer’s owner of limiting the chain's access to funding.

This has effectively prevented bosses from making routine payments, with suppliers now worried they will not be paid on time this week, according to Sky News.

But sources close to the crisis talks insisted that this should not prevent staff from being paid at the end of the month.

Williams told staff: 'I'm disappointed to have to tell you that Gordon Brothers have given instructions that restricts our access to funds that we would, in normal circumstances expect to access fully under our existing loan agreement.'

Gordon Brothers are accused of breaching the terms of an asset-based lending facility by failing to submit a budget to the shareholders on time despite an agreed grace period – with the business now outperforming those forecasts, Sky News reported.

Julie Palmer, managing partner at real estate advisory group BTG, says that in this situation, ‘existing commitments such as payroll and supplier invoices can still be met from cash already available‘.

But bosses cannot ‘draw further funds to cover anything beyond that,’ she says, which poses a problem as retailers typically draw from these loans in the autumn to buy Christmas stock - before repaying from festive sales in December and January.

She added: ‘If a lender has concerns about longer-term viability, it may simply be unwilling to increase its exposure by funding that stock build, particularly when it can’t be sure who will own the business, or what shape it will be in, by the time the money needs to come back.

‘That leaves management with very little room to manoeuvre. It limits their ability to buy stock or take on new commitments, and puts directors in a difficult position, because they must be confident the company can meet its liabilities before taking on new ones. Once credit insurers pull back and suppliers start asking for payment up front, the squeeze tightens quickly.’

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