Coleen Rooney lifts lid on long-distance relationship struggles with Wayne

Coleen Rooney has lifted the lid on her long-distance relationship with husband Wayne as he spends time away managing Plymouth Argyle, a Championship team in Devon.

The 38-year-old has decided to stay put in Cheshire with the couple's sons after former England and Manchester United star Wayne took on the new role, with the club announcing his appointment back in May, seeing him succeed Ian Foster.

But being a busy working mum is something Coleen is used to and now, Coleen has opened up about how she and Wayne keep their 22-year romance alive.

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Speaking to the Mirror, she said: "We see him a couple of times a week, which is good. He went to America, so this is a bonus because even though it seems like far away, it's easier to get to than Washington, DC."

She added: "There's lots of FaceTime and he always phones when we're going out of the door in the morning. I'm like, 'Just wait till we're in the car. I've got no time.'"

Coleen reveals that she did consider a move from their Cheshire home so they could be nearer Wayne, 38, but ruled it out because of their four boys, who are all under 15. "We thought long and hard about it (moving to Devon) but with the kids it didn't work," she shared.

"Kai's now in year 10 and just starting GCSE prep and everything's going well with football, and the other boys are all settled at school, so it didn't seem fair on the children to pick them up and take them away, and start in a whole new place. It's manageable. It's life. Other couples and families have similar situations and have to get on with it."

But Coleen is confident she has got the juggle down to a fine art. "I've got a house of four boys. Well, five boys," she laughed, in a cheeky quip about Wayne. "It is hectic. The key thing is I'm really organised. Preparation is key and just to make sure everything's done beforehand. I think that is my main strength."

When Coleen and Wayne do get together, they love nothing more than enjoying a gig or just sitting on the sofa and catching up. She revealed: "We love a concert. That's probably one of our favourite things to do, just us or with friends."

Coleen added: "We also like a night in just sitting in front of the telly, catching up on things. We always try to make time for each other, no matter what. We've always done that and I think that's what has kept a good ongoing relationship."

So, do the pair make romantic gestures when they are reunited? "We're past that!" she laughed Liverpool-born Coleen was just 16 when she was thrust into the spotlight after childhood sweetheart Wayne piqued the interest of the football world with his impressive skills. It meant she had to grow up fast and she and Wayne have gone through some very public trials and tribulations since.

Coleen even found herself in a multi-million pound libel court battle, dubbed the Wagatha Christie saga. When the case concluded, in Coleen's favour, she retreated quietly to her family. She says they are the key to her remaining strong. "I'm quite strong minded and I've been able to cope with stress, mentally in the past and into the present. I'm lucky with that," she shared.

"It's always been important for me to have good people around me. Being in the spotlight since I was 16, now looking at it, my eldest is nearly 15. At the time, I didn't think it was young but it was very young. I don't know whether I would've got through it without a strong unit around me. I'm really lucky I have got that and it is important to have people you can trust and you can confide in. That's been my strength going through it."

Coleen also lights up with every mention of sons Kai, 14, Klay, 11, Kit, eight, and Cass, six. Proudly sharing their interests, she revealed@ "They're very sporty but my younger two enjoy music. One is learning guitar, the other piano and both of them drums. The two older ones are football-mad and my eldest loves speaking Spanish at the minute and is into this Spanish rap. So he's doing that all over the house. The house is even noisier."

Kai and Klay have been signed to Manchester Utd's academy. So what's it like trying to follow in the footsteps of one of the world's best players? Coleen insisted: "We've never pressured them into even playing football. We've always just let them decide what they want to do."

"My eight-year-old was playing and doing really well but then decided he didn't want to, and that's OK. I think they sometimes get pressure off other people, you know. People approach them now and then if we're out, they do say, 'Are you are as good as your dad?' Kai says 'I'm a different type of player.' You've got to let them know that you don't have to follow and to be your own person."

Coleen's schedule is about to get busier as she is the ambassador for Liverpool-based supplements brand Applied Nutrition. She is now the face of its new campaign and says: "Applied Nutrition are fantastic quality and just make you feel better. Next year, we're looking at bringing out my own range with them, which is so exciting. The range will be based on the needs of females.

"It's really important for women to look after themselves. A lot of us have a busy lifestyle, whether it be looking after children, working, life is hectic for most people. I used to skip breakfast, so now I'll have a protein shake every morning and I'll include the collagen in that. It gives me energy and also we all want to look young forever."