LONDON -- Arsene Wenger insists there isn't a drinking problem in English football anymore, but that players shouldn't be expected to behave like "angels" either.
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney had to apologise on Wednesday after he was pictured in The Sun looking intoxicated at a wedding party this weekend.
He then missed a friendly against Spain, with interim manager Gareth Southgate saying Rooney was injured.
The images have renewed a debate about players' drinking habits, which Wenger cracked down on when he took over Arsenal 20 years ago. The Frenchman has been credited with helping change the alcohol culture in English football, and said he doesn't think it has gotten worse again.
"I do not want to get involved in the Rooney case at all because I don't know really what happened. But I don't think it is a major problem now in English sport, it has disappeared," Wenger said.
The issue was even more relevant at Arsenal when Wenger came to England, as captain Tony Adams had just admitted he was an alcoholic. That made it the "right period to stop serving alcohol" at the club, the Arsenal boss said. But in the end, Wenger said it's up to the players to take responsibility for their habits when they're away from their clubs.
"At the top level, every player has to know what he can do and what he cannot do. You have to accept you cannot control the players everywhere," he said.
"We have all been young, I think you have as well, we have not all been angels at 20 or 21 but overall I believe it is part of youth to make mistakes and after that analyse it well. All the players who make big careers have that quality, a good assessment. All the big players make mistakes but after they have a good assessment of the situation and they address it in a positive way."