Wayne Rooney admits there was a period after retirement when he let himself go. But these days, he’s back in fantastic shape, looking much like he did during his Manchester United playing career.

The 40-year-old has lost a noticeable amount of weight, though he’s keen to stress it hasn’t come through GLP-1 medications.

Instead, Rooney credits three simple lifestyle changes: cutting out alcohol, getting back into a regular training routine and improving his diet.

‘I feel great,’ he said on This Morning. ‘I haven’t drank for a while. I just wanted to feel a bit healthier and be healthier. Obviously, [my] eating habits are a lot better. And I’m training. Everyone is saying I am on this pen thing [GLP-1], which I’m not – I just wanted to put that out there. I actually am working hard to try and look better and be healthier.’

Rooney retired from football five years ago and has since managed four clubs. Now working as a pundit for the BBC and Sky Sports, he says staying healthy has become increasingly important so he can make the most of spending time with his four sons, who range in age from eight to 16.

Rooney says giving up alcohol has been one of the biggest contributors to his transformation.

‘When I stopped playing, I got into a bit of a rut and was probably drinking a bit too much,’ he said.

Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor, says that’s entirely plausible.

‘Reducing alcohol can have a surprisingly significant effect on weight because alcohol provides a substantial number of calories without making us feel particularly full, so cutting it down can remove a fairly large source of excess energy from the diet without necessarily requiring someone to make dramatic changes to their meals,’ Dr Wylie says.

‘Rooney’s experience is quite plausible, particularly if reducing alcohol has been accompanied by slightly healthier eating and more exercise.’

Indeed, a University College London study of people who averaged 2.5 alcoholic drinks a day found that, after just 30 days of abstaining, participants lost an average of 2kg, their liver fat decreased, and cancer risk markers improved. That’s even when considering some didn’t change the rest of their diet or exercise levels.

But reducing alcohol doesn’t just mean consuming fewer calories. Better sleep quality and more consistent energy levels can also make it easier to stick to a training routine, since alcohol is known to disrupt sleep and leave people feeling fatigued the following day.

Rooney also credits simply getting back into a regular exercise routine.

‘When I stopped playing, I got into a bit of a rut… Or I wasn’t getting into a routine with training,’ he said.

That consistency has had benefits beyond his physique.

‘Then I just thought, “You know what? I want to enjoy my time with my kids while they’re at this age.” And actually, I’ve been more present and more there with them.’

Regular exercise not only supports weight loss but also makes it easier to maintain other healthy habits over time, creating a routine that’s far more sustainable than relying on short-term fixes.

The final piece of the puzzle has been improving what he eats.

‘Obviously, [my] eating habits are a lot better.’

Dr Wylie says that’s often where lasting success comes from – not one dramatic intervention, but several modest lifestyle changes working together.

‘The broader lesson I would take from Rooney’s approach is that weight loss does not necessarily require an extreme diet or a single dramatic intervention, and for many people it is the accumulation of fairly ordinary changes that makes the difference,’ she explains.

‘Reducing alcohol, improving the quality of food, becoming a little more physically active and getting better sleep are all changes that can reinforce one another, and they are generally more realistic to maintain over the long term than trying to follow a very restrictive regime for a short period.’

The Manchester United legend has previously admitted that, during his playing career, he regularly returned for pre-season overweight after doing very little training during the off-season.

‘I used to hate pre-season. I’d come back every pre-season [around 3kg] overweight. So I knew I had to put the work in,’ Rooney said on the Stick to Football podcast. ‘I used to take the [exercise] bike in the steam room the day before we were back in. Honestly the night before we had to get weighed I’d sit in there for 90 minutes fully clothed. I wouldn’t eat a thing, I wouldn’t drink a thing.’

This certainly isn’t an approach that Men’s Health would recommend.

Cycling in a steam room while deliberately avoiding food and water carries a significant risk of severe dehydration. Any weight lost would also be almost entirely water weight rather than body fat. While the scales may show a lower number, body composition is unlikely to have changed in any meaningful way.

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