Wayne Rooney has revealed the difficulty he had adapting to life as a Premier League superstar, which led to locking himself away to drink and "raging" on the football pitch.

Rooney, Manchester United and England's record goalscorer, is releasing a documentary on Amazon Prime.

And the now Derby County manager has discussed all aspects of his career, including how he struggled to deal with the pressure of playing for United.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Rooney said becoming a top player at a young age was "something I wasn't prepared for" after growing up in his council estate in Croxteth, "always getting into fights and arguments".

"It took a long time for me to get used to that and figure out how to deal with it," Rooney told the newspaper. "It was like being thrown in somewhere where you are just not comfortable. That was tough for me. 

"I had made a lot of mistakes when I was younger, some in the press and some not in the press, whether that's fighting or whatever.

"For me to deal with that, deal with stuff that was in the newspapers, deal with the manager at the time, deal with family at the time, was very difficult.

"In my early years at Manchester United, probably until we had my first son, Kai, I locked myself away really. I never went out. 

"There were times you'd get a couple of days off from football and I would actually lock myself away and just drink, to try to take all that away from my mind."

On the pitch, it meant playing with anger – although Rooney suggests that made him a better player.

"Early on in my career, I played with a lot more anger and picked up the odd red card," he said. "The anger was all the time when I was drinking, when I was having these moments. Still constantly in my head, I was raging. 

"When I learned to control it, it took that away from me. It was almost as if being right in my head took a bit away from my game. Not being right in my head gave me that added unpredictability."

Yet one notable example of a costly red card saw Rooney sent off for England in a World Cup quarter-final against Portugal, which ended in defeat on penalties.

United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo played a prominent role in appealing for Rooney's dismissal – for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho – and was famously then caught on camera winking to the Portugal bench.

While that incident prompted plenty of discussion as they returned to United, Rooney says: "After I was sent off in the World Cup quarter-final against Portugal and we lost on penalties, I got Ronaldo out into the tunnel. 

"I said: 'Listen, you're going to get a lot of stick from the press, I'm going to get a lot of stick from the press, my focus now is on Man United. There is no issue with me whatsoever, I would have done exactly the same trying to get England a win against Portugal and this is a big year for us and we have every chance of winning the league.'

"My attention, once we were out, completely flipped back to Manchester United.

"There was never any issue. I actually tried to get him booked in the first half for diving. I'm playing for England, he's playing for Portugal, do whatever you can to win."

LeBron James was left stunned by Tom Brady's decision to bring his storied NFL career to an end this week, commenting that "a small piece of me definitely left".

After a few days of speculation, Brady announced on Tuesday that he was calling time on his long career at the age of 44.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback decided he could no longer commit himself 100 per cent to the sport.

Brady's retirement saw tributes pour in from all over the sporting world, such has been his impact on the NFL – he holds the record for the most Super Bowl wins (seven) and Super Bowl MVP awards (five).

James returned to NBA action on Saturday after a five-game absence, starring with a triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers sealed an overtime 122-115 win over the New York Knicks, and that gave him the opportunity to join the praise for Brady.

The four-time NBA MVP was almost emotional in response to Brady's retirement, lauding him as one of his inspirations.

"I personally was just so in shock when I saw it," he said post-game. "I was one of the ones who didn't say anything when the first, initial announcement came out. I didn't retweet anything, say anything because I wanted to hear it come from him. Then when he came out with his announcement, I was like… You know?

"As a guy who's kind of been my motivation factor over the last few years, seeing what he's able to do at his age and always kind of being a leader of a team.

"Even at his age, people still gravitate towards him and gravitate towards his energy, and how he prepares and things of that nature.

"So, a small piece of me definitely left when Brady decided to retire, that's for sure."

LeBron James was "just excited to be back" on Saturday as he marked his return from injury with a triple-double in the Los Angeles Lakers' win over the New York Knicks.

After a five-game absence due to a knee problem, James scored 29 points as the Lakers came back from a 15-point deficit to beat the Knicks 122-115 in overtime.

The 37-year-old also tallied 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the 103rd triple-double of his storied career and his fourth of this season.

James admitted it took time to get into the swing of things after a long time out of action, but he was thrilled to make a winning return, the Lakers having gone 1-4 in his absence.

"After the first quarter, the knee loosened up a lot more," he said. "My mind loosened up a lot more. And I was just able to play basketball.

"But [I was] just excited to be back in the uniform, back on the floor with my guys. Missed them, missed the game. I was happy I was able to make a few plays and help us win a ballgame."

Anthony Davis also starred, his 28 points and 17 rebounds helping the Lakers to recover after falling 42-29 behind in the first quarter.

The eight-time All-Star was relieved to have James back on the court, even if his performance was barely a surprise.

"It's a hell of a return," said Davis. "He's doing LeBron-type things. [I] Expected nothing less from him. Efficient from the field.

"S***, he did what he's supposed to do. He helped us, for sure. So, I missed him. He's a big part of our team with his voice, his leadership, play-making ability. And he came back and showed it."

The Lakers, who improved to 26-28, are ninth in the Western Conference standings, just behind the 27-27 Los Angeles Clippers.

Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer have leapt to the defence of the departing Niklas Sule following criticism from club legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Sule confirmed earlier this week that he would exit Bayern when his current contract expires at the end of this season, despite being offered a new deal by the German champions.

The 26-year-old defender's decision led to Rummenigge stating he "never really asserting himself in his position" at Bayern.

Sule joined Bayern from Hoffenheim in 2017 and has made 159 appearances for the club, winning four Bundesliga titles and two DFB-Pokal crowns as well as the 2019-20 Champions League.

Former Bayern skipper Stefan Effenberg chimed in, adding Sule “decided against sporting success and for more money”.

"I've only read it and haven't spoken to him about it yet," Nagelsmann told Sky when asked about Rummenigge's comments.

"Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is so regarded that he can say things. In the end it is important that Niklas performs well. That's more important than interviews."

He continued: “He has a contract situation that allows him to make a change. One can understand that.

"We will have a very good central defender again next year. We have to see what's going on in the transfer market. Everyone would have liked to keep him."

Sule put in a full shift in Saturday's 3-2 win over RB Leipzig, with Bayern captain Neuer admitting his departure hurts but defending his decision to leave.

"It annoys us all that Niklas is going," Neuer told Sky . "He's a very good player, we'll miss him.

"He came from Hoffenheim, that was the way until he worked his way up to his peak performance. It's a process - and I think you can say today that it has succeeded."

He added: "When a player decides to go a different route, everyone lives their own career, you accept such decisions."

Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer have leapt to the defence of the departing Niklas Sule following criticism from club legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Sule confirmed earlier this week that he would exit Bayern when his current contract expires at the end of this season, despite being offered a new deal by the German champions.

The 26-year-old defender's decision led to Rummenigge stating he "never really asserting himself in his position" at Bayern.

Sule joined Bayern from Hoffenheim in 2017 and has made 159 appearances for the club, winning four Bundesliga titles and two DFB-Pokal crowns as well as the 2019-20 Champions League.

Former Bayern skipper Stefan Effenberg chimed in, adding Sule “decided against sporting success and for more money”.

"I've only read it and haven't spoken to him about it yet," Nagelsmann told Sky when asked about Rummenigge's comments.

"Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is so regarded that he can say things. In the end it is important that Niklas performs well. That's more important than interviews."

He continued: “He has a contract situation that allows him to make a change. One can understand that.

"We will have a very good central defender again next year. We have to see what's going on in the transfer market. Everyone would have liked to keep him."

Sule put in a full shift in Saturday's 3-2 win over RB Leipzig, with Bayern captain Neuer admitting his departure hurts but defending his decision to leave.

"It annoys us all that Niklas is going," Neuer told Sky . "He's a very good player, we'll miss him.

"He came from Hoffenheim, that was the way until he worked his way up to his peak performance. It's a process - and I think you can say today that it has succeeded."

He added: "When a player decides to go a different route, everyone lives their own career, you accept such decisions."

LeBron James returned from a five-game injury-enforced absence with a triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers won 122-115 over the New York Knicks in overtime.

James had missed five games with swelling in his left knee but returned in style, contributing 29 points with 13 rebounds and 10 assists as they rallied from a 21-point second-quarter deficit.

The Lakers had gone 1-4 in James' absence but the four-time MVP was pivotal with his fourth triple-double of the season.

Anthony Davis was excellent for the Lakers with 28 points and 17 rebounds, while Malik Monk added 29 points too.

RJ Barrett netted a career-high 36 points and Julius Randle added 32 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists for the Knicks.

Suns bounce back, Morant stars

The table-topping Phoenix Suns bounced back from their loss to the Atlanta Hawks with a 95-80 win over the Washington Wizards led by Deandre Ayton's 20 points and 16 rebounds. Chris Paul added 14 points and nine assists, while Devin Booker was quiet with only 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Jimmy Butler dropped 27 points shooting 10-of-13 while Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 12 rebounds as the Miami Heat won 104-86 over the Charlotte Hornets.

Ja Morant scored 33 points in three quarters as the Memphis Grizzlies claimed their fifth win in six games, routing the Orlando Magic 135-115.

Blazers skid extended by Bucks

The Portland Trail Blazers slumped to their fifth straight defeat, leaving them with a 21-33 record as Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 29 points with nine rebounds and six assists in the Milwaukee Bucks' 137-108 win. Bobby Portis also scored 30 points for the Bucks.

The Los Angeles Clippers are uncertain if injured star pair Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will return this season.

Two-time NBA Finals MVP Leonard has been out since June with a torn right ACL which forced him out of last season's playoffs.

George has missed the Clippers' past 22 games, having been sidelined with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right shooting elbow since December 22.

The Clippers made the 2020-21 Conference Finals but are 27-27 this season, with injuries taking their toll.

Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank conceded he was uncertain whether 30-year-old small forward Leonard would return this season.

"I think the best answer is we don't know," Frank said. "He grinds every single day. He works. His focus is on his rehab.

"No one knows. He doesn't know. But all you can do is, just every day, continue to control what you can control and see how he responds."

Clippers head coach Ty Lue had alarmingly mentioned on Thursday that they "know Kawhi's probably not gonna come back," but he moved to clarify that comment.

"Hope is stronger than fear," Lue said. "So I'm hoping that these two guys can come back. But you never know."

Seven-time All-Star George will undergo an MRI on his elbow on February 24 but Frank said that would dictate his return date.

"You don't treat the MRI, you treat the player," Frank said. "When the MRI comes in, it's not a 'boom' that all of a sudden is a 'Eureka' moment for what we do. I think it's just part of the process.

"I think it's you see how Paul is responding. He's feeling better each and every day. The MRI is another kind of benchmark.

"I think the doctors put it all together and that's how they come to what the next steps are. My expectation is regardless of what the MRI says, it's just part of it. That's not going to be the ultimate decision-maker in what happens."

Qualifier Alejandro Tabilo stunned top seed Diego Schwartzman to progress to his first ATP Tour final at the Cordoba Open.

Schwartzman, the world number 14, had been hoping to win a title on home soil in Argentina for the second time in his career.

But his Chilean opponent continued his remarkable run with a 6-3 7-6 (8-6) upset, the world number 144 now having won 12 successive sets at the tournament stretching back to qualifying.

Tabilo only won his first title on the Challenger Tour in November but has carried that momentum through into 2022.

"I've been playing my best tennis for a few months now and I finished the year strong," said Tabilo.

"I think I just needed one of these weeks to kind of click and get going. Hopefully this is the start of something good, and hopefully I can keep this level."

Tabilo will face Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the final after the Spaniard beat another home hope in Juan Ignacio Londero.

Ramos-Vinolas prevailed 7-6 (7-4) 6-4, surpassing his own expectations after a first-round exit at the Australian Open.

"When I came here after Australia, I didn't expect to be in the final, to be honest," he said.

"I was not playing my best. The pre-season [I worked] very hard but the feeling was not very good.

"Now I'm in the final. The only thing I can do is try to fight as much as I can."

Chris Eubank Jr said he taught Liam Williams a lesson after knocking him down four times en route to a unanimous middleweight win.

Trash talk between the two fighters had dominated the build-up to an enticing showdown in Cardiff, yet it was Eubank who thrived when it came time to back up those words in the ring.

He claimed victory 116-109, 116-108 and 117-109 on the cards, a combination of Williams' bravery and some Eubank showboating seeing the fight go the distance.

Eubank, a two-time former IBO super-middleweight champion, can likely look forward to a world title shot later in 2022. He is already the mandatory challenger for Ryota Murata's WBA (super) belt following his move back down to middleweight.

"I am happy with the performance, I wanted to teach that man a lesson, he said some quite menacing things to me in the lead-up to this fight," Eubank said.

"I wanted to punish him. I didn't want to knock him out in one round, I wanted to punish him.

"Headbutts, headlocks, I am surprised he didn't get disqualified. But I took it like a man and I punished him like I said I would. It was a fun night.

"I think I showed some of my critics a different side to me. There was no danger, if I had stepped on the gas at any point in the fight he would have been gone.

"There are levels to this game. Don't be a big mouth against guys you can get hurt against."

Olivier Giroud declared that Milan "are back" after inspiring their comeback win in the derby with Inter.

Giroud scored twice to cut Inter's lead at the top of Serie A to one point - though the Nerazzurri do have a game in hand - in a 2-1 win for the Rossoneri, who had fallen behind to Ivan Perisic's first-half volley.

The France international contentiously converted from close range to equalise in the 75th minute and completed the turnaround three minutes later to stun Simone Inzaghi's side, Milan's only blemish a late red card for Theo Hernandez.

"As I said before the game, this was a special fixture. You win the derby, we were struggling in the first half, but after the break for 45 minutes we got back into it," Giroud told DAZN.

"I was hoping for one or two balls into the box, the first was a bit lucky, but the second was a fine [Davide] Calabria pass.

"I am so happy for my fans, I am proud of this team that never gave up.

"We score goals in the box, so it's true I was a bit isolated in the first half, but the whole team didn't play well and we knew that.

"We proved our great team spirit after the break and we are back!

"There's a long road ahead of us, we are still in the running, but there are many games to be played and Inter remain the leaders.

"So let’s win our matches and then see what Inter do."

Antonio Conte hailed the attitude and commitment of Harry Kane after the Tottenham captain's double in their 3-1 FA Cup over Brighton and Hove Albion.

Kane's brace, sandwiched by an own goal by Solly March and a deflected Yves Bissouma strike for Brighton, booked Tottenham's place in the fifth round.

Son Heung-min returned from a hamstring injury while Cristian Romero was back in action for Spurs following a thigh problem.

New signings Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur also came off the bench to make their debuts, leaving plenty of reasons for Conte to be satisfied.

Asked if Kane, who now has three goals in his last three games in all competitions, is returning to his best, Conte replied: "For sure we need to try to improve the players, no? And I think Harry, also in the past, when in the games that he didn't score, I liked his performance.

"Harry is a player who's scored a lot in the past as a number nine, but I think what we can appreciate - me and also the whole team - is his attitude and commitment for the team.

"I think this is the most important thing for us. Then for sure, to score two goals is important because he's number nine, he's used to scoring goals and he's also improving his... we are working on the physical condition with the team.

"We're trying to improve the intensity, also during the training sessions. I think all these situations can improve the performance with all the players.

"For sure, I'm happy for him but I'm happy for the whole team. I'm happy for Son and Romero to come back into our team. It was important."

On Son's return, Conte added: "It was good news for us. Sonny is an important player for us. He's decisive. He knows that very well.

"Today I wanted to give him 65-70 minutes because when you come back after injury, I prefer in a week when we have three games, to manage very well Son and also Romero.

"Because after serious injury, to have them back was good news but also we have to try to manage them very well and not take risks because they're important players for us."

Cameroon beat Burkina Faso on penalties to claim third place at the Africa Cup of Nations after recovering from three goals down at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo.

The tournament hosts trailed to strikes from Steeve Yago and Djibril Ouattara, either side of an Andre Onana own goal, with 49 minutes played of Saturday's third-place play-off.

But Stephane Bahoken pulled one back and substitute Vincent Aboubakar scored twice in the space of two minutes late on to force penalties, which Cameroon edged 5-3.
 

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The Indomitable Lions with a MASSIVE comeback to clinch the bronze medal #TotalEnergiesAFCON2021 | #AFCON2021 | #TeamCameroon | @FecafootOfficie pic.twitter.com/Ihu951cZTL

— #TotalEnergiesAFCON2021(@CAF_Online) February 5, 2022 Cameroon made nine changes from their semi-final loss to Egypt and that told when Yago volleyed in from an Issa Kabore cross.

Onana, one of those to retain his place in the side, comically deflected Kabore's cross into his own net and Ouattara headed in a third for Burkina Faso early in the second half.

After Bahoken fired in from close range with 19 minutes to go, half-time substitute Aboubakar headed in a second Cameroon goal and then poked home a third moments later.

That led to a shoot-out and, after the first five penalties were converted, Onana denied Blati Toure to tee up Ambroise Oyongo to convert the winning kick for Cameroon.