Former England football captain Wayne Rooney was arrested and fined in the US last month for public intoxication and swearing, according to reports.
Rooney, 33, is England's all-time-leading scorer, and currently plays for Major League Soccer's DC United.
A spokesman for Loudoun County Sheriff's Office confirmed Rooney was taken into custody "on a charge of public intoxication stemming from an arrest by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police".
The spokesman added: "He was later released on a personal recognizance bond."
The Guardian reported a spokesman for the footballer saying the arrest came after he was left “disorientated” by prescribed sleeping tablets that he took on a flight from Saudi Arabia following a one-day promotional business trip.
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“During the flight Wayne took a prescribed amount of sleeping tablets mixed with some alcohol consumption and consequently was disorientated on arrival,” his spokesperson said.
“He was approached by police who arrested him on a minor misdemeanour charge. He received a statutory automatic fine and was released shortly afterwards at the airport. The matter is now at an end.
“Wayne would like to put on record his appreciation for the manner he was treated by all involved. No further comment will be made.”
According to reports, Rooney was arrested at Dulles International Airport, which is located in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, after a returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia where he attended the opening race of the Formula E season near Riyadh.
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Court documents from Loudoun General District Court show that Rooney, 33, paid a $25 fine and $91 costs on January 4.
He was a charged with a 'Class 4' misdemeanour, which carries a maximum fine of $250.
Rooney was banned from driving for two years in September 2017 after he was found to be almost three times over the legal limit when he was stopped by police in Cheshire.
The forward moved to the US in June 2018 after signing a three-and-a-half-year contract with DC United.
Rooney led the club to the play-offs in his first season before they suffered a first-round loss, with the former Everton player missing a penalty in a shootout against Columbus Crew.
A statement from DC United said: "We are aware of news reports indicating that Wayne Rooney was arrested in December.
"We understand the media's interest in this matter but we believe this is a private matter for Wayne that DC United will handle internally. We have no further comment on this situation."
(With IANS inputs)
