Wayne Rooney has endured another bumpy ride – but this time it was nowhere near the football dugout.
The former footballer and wife Coleen were taking a break from watching their son Kai, 15, playing for Manchester United’s academy side in Northern Ireland when they visited a local amusement park.
Locals were stunned to see them enjoying the dodgems at nearby Curry’s Fun Park in Portrush, County Antrim.
Wayne – wearing a black baseball cap and shades – let his lad Kit do the driving, while Coleen was seen laughing as she opted for her own bumper car.
The video was captured by former BBC radio presenter Alan Simpson, who invited the Rooney’s, both 39, to enjoy the amusements.
He tagged the pair online and posted: ‘You just never know who you will bump into at Curry’s Fun Park Portrush.’
Wayne Rooney has endured another bumpy ride – but this time it was nowhere near the football dugout, with the former Manchester United ace visiting Curry’s Fun Park in Portrush, County Antrim, with son Kai and wife Coleen
Coleen was seen laughing as she opted for her own bumper car during their visit to the local amusement park
Speaking afterwards, he said the famous faces were ‘down-to-earth’ and revealed he had facilitated the visit.
Alan explained: ‘Coleen had expressed an interest in bringing them along on their off days from the cup. I was absolutely more than happy to accommodate.
‘Herself, Wayne and the kids came down and had a great time interacting with the other punters and being big kids, as everyone does at Curry’s.
‘They had a lot of fun for a few hours. No matter who comes to Portrush — footballers, golfers, whoever — we try to make sure they have a good time.’
In a post on Facebook, Curry’s revealed that the Rooneys spent two hours at the park and also tried other rides including the Ghost Train.
They said: ‘On Friday we were delighted to welcome one of the true superstars of the game Wayne Rooney, his wife Coleen alongside Northern Ireland’s own Corey Evans and their families for a fun afternoon spending a couple of hours enjoying everything from the Ghost Train to the Cyclone and the bumper cars.
‘The A-list couple certainly turned heads as they joined their kids on the rides. Remarked one Cookstown couple, “It’s not everyday you literally bump into Wayne and Coleen Rooney on the bumper cars in Portrush.
‘The owners of Curry’s, Jacqueline and Owen Curry, were happy to meet and see the Rooneys enjoying their family day out.
Kai Rooney is a promising young footballer with the Manchester United youth academy
His father broke numerous records during his trophy-laden spell at Manchester United, where he is still the club’s all time greatest goalscorer
‘Jacqueline shared fashion tips with Coleen while Owen, a lifelong Crystal Palace fan couldn’t resist reminding Wayne of the recent 4-0 victory for Palace.
‘The Rooneys chatted about how much they enjoyed their visit to the North Coast, the warmth of the welcome and especially their time sampling the Portmagic.’
Their eldest boy Kai, 15, had been starring in the Super Cup NI youth football tournament for United, a competition Wayne also played at in 2000.
Wayne, Manchester United’s record goalscorer, and Coleen, were seen watching a game in the stands at the Coleraine Showgrounds on Tuesday.
Other football stars spotted at the tournament included Michael Carrick, Jamie Redknapp and Corey Evans.
Kai and his teammates made it to the boys’ premier final, where they lost to Southampton 1-0.
Afterwards former England ace Wayne posted on social media: ‘Great few days in Coleraine for the SuperCupNI.
‘Well done to Kai and the Manchester United lads on a brilliant effort throughout the tournament.
‘Congratulations to Southampton on the win. Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome.’
Wayne’s work ethic during a disastrous stint as manager of Birmingham City has been questioned by minority owner Tom Brady in scenes from a new Amazon Prime series
The remarkable admission from the NFL legend has been revealed in an upcoming five-part series Built in Birmingham: Brady and the Blues
Wayne’s work ethic during a disastrous stint as manager of Birmingham City has been questioned by minority owner Tom Brady in scenes from a new Amazon Prime series.
The remarkable admission from the NFL legend has been revealed in an upcoming five-part series Built in Birmingham: Brady and the Blues.
In it, Brady admits to being worried about the dedication of the Manchester United legend during his disastrous spell at St Andrews.
Wayne was sacked in January last year, lasting just 15 matches in the Blues’ dugout.
Under his management, the Blues took 10 points from a possible 45, losing nine and winning just two.
The fly-on-the-wall documentary, being released on Friday, shows Brady visiting the Birmingham training ground to observe Wayne’s team meeting and training session.
While driving away, he tells his business manager Ben Rawitz: ‘I’m a little worried about our head coach’s work ethic.’
Rawitz replies: ‘Comes across as lackadaisical.’
Wayne now works as a football pundit for the BBC (pictured during an FA Cup semi-final match at Wembley Stadium in April
Wayne began in management immediately after his playing days were over, hanging up his boots while playing in the Championship for Derby to take the reins at Pride Park.
Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer received plaudits for the work he did in extremely challenging circumstances, with the club struggling to compete amid their mountain of financial issues.
He then made the surprise move to MLS and coached another of his former sides, DC United. But he lasted just 12 months Stateside – half the time he spent in charge of the Rams – as interest in his services came from the newly minted Blues.
Birmingham – backed by the riches of Knighthead Capital and boasting Brady as an investor – replaced the beloved John Eustace with the former England hero, even though the club was pushing for a play-off spot.
Rather predictably, this proved to be a massive mistake.
The documentary also sees Brady admit his error in replacing Eustace with the former England international and reveal that he was warned against making ‘sweeping changes’ so early in his time with the club.
‘I had good advice, “Don’t go in there and make sweeping changes. You guys have time”,’ said Brady. ‘But we made sweeping changes that put us in decline. That was our doing.’
