"Lose seven kilos"

Rooney’s brutal training: “I hated it!”

Wayne Rooney gave an insight into his "brutal" way of preparing for the season in a podcast.(Bild: AFP/ APA/Lindsey PARNABY)

Wayne Rooney has given an insight into his "brutal" way of preparing for the season in a podcast. The English cult footballer confessed that he hated pre-season training and usually returned from vacation with a few kilos too many. He then had to resort to radical training methods. 

"I hated pre-season preparation. Every time I prepared for the new season, I came back six to seven pounds overweight. So I knew I had to make an effort," reveals the former Manchester United professional in the "Stick to Football Podcast". Discipline was generally not his strong point, according to the 38-year-old.

In order to get back into shape, the Englishman was forced to use drastic training methods, as he explains further: "The day before it started again, I sat on the exercise bike in the steam room. The night before we were weighed, I sat there fully clothed for 90 minutes. I didn't eat or drink anything."

"A few glasses of beer on vacation"
That was the price he paid for not exercising on vacation and usually returning with around seven kilos too much on the scales. "The scales in the club's gym show me that I've put on a few more pounds than expected - seven. Seven! Then I remember that I drank a few glasses of beer while I was away," Rooney also wrote in his book "My Decade in the Premier League". 

But despite his lack of discipline, the former England international went on to enjoy an impressive career. He played for Everton and Manchester United in the Premier League. He won the Champions League with United in 2008. In the meantime, he became the record goalscorer for the Three Lions (53 goals). Only Harry Kane was able to break this record.

Rooney is now trying his hand at coaching, but has not really been successful yet. As head coach of Birmingham City, he was recently sacked after just a few weeks. In the new season, he is trying his hand at coaching Plymouth Argyle in the second-tier English EFL Championship.