Community service is 'relaxing', says redemption seeking Wayne Rooney

Courtesy: Reuters

London: Wayne Rooney admits he made a mistake over his drink-driving charge, but the Everton star says his community service in a garden centre is "relaxing".

Rooney was ordered to complete 120 hours unpaid work after admitting being nearly three times the legal limit while at the wheel of a woman`s car.

The former England and Manchester United captain was also banned from driving for two years.

Rooney regrets a mistake he said hurt his children, but he has found redemption in his community service.

"I knew straight away I had made a stupid mistake and I have to move on," Rooney told TalkSport.

"It is not nice, obviously. I`ve got children and it`s not nice for them to see that and I try and move on and learn from it which I feel I am doing."

Rooney said he is about halfway through his community service, adding: "I`ve really enjoyed doing it. It`s been working with adults with learning difficulties in a garden centre.

"Especially around this period, this Christmas period, going in and helping them with different things they`re making over Christmas.

"I think it`s a place now where I`ll certainly keep in touch with when obviously my hours are over.

"Seeing what they do, obviously they need support in what they do, there are a lot of adults with learning difficulties who just need a little bit of help and a bit of guidance and someone there to help them.

Asked if he gets any "stick", Rooney said: "No, not at all. We actually don`t even talk about football in there.

"It`s a refreshing place to go and it`s relaxing, you`re working with people, doing different things which I wouldn`t have done if I didn`t go there, so it`s been great going there."

The 32-year-old pleaded guilty to drink driving at Stockport Magistrates` Court following an incident in the early hours of September 1.

Rooney, a married father of three children, had reportedly left a cocktail bar in Cheshire in a taxi with 29-year-old Laura Simpson and later went on to take the wheel of her vehicle.

Police on mobile patrol stopped Rooney after they noticed a rear tail-light out.

After failing a roadside breath test Rooney was taken to a local police station where he produced a reading of 104 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit in England and Wales being 35 microgrammes.