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Rooney pays fine after December arrest on public intoxication charge

D.C. United striker Wayne Rooney was arrested in Loudoun County, Virginia, in December on a public intoxication charge, according to police records.

Rooney was arrested on Dec. 16 and was released on his own recognizance. England's record goal scorer paid a $25 fine and $91 in court costs after the class 4 misdemeanor.

The former England captain was arrested by police at Dulles International Airport in Virginia after he caused the alarm to go off at an international arrivals gate, according to a statement from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Authorities said he didn't breach airport security.

The airport authority said he was charged with misdemeanor public intoxication and taken to a county jail in the Virginia suburbs of the nation's capital "to be held until sober.'' The statement didn't include further details on his arrest.

A spokesman for Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said: "He was booked into the Loudoun County Adult Detention Centre on 16 December 2018, on a charge of public intoxication stemming from an arrest by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police (MWAA). He was later released on a personal recognizance bond."

Rooney, 33, moved to D.C. United in June 2018, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal, and helped the club turn their Major League Soccer campaign around, eventually qualifying for the playoffs.

"Wayne took a prescribed amount of sleeping tablets mixed with some alcohol consumption and consequently was disorientated on arrival. He was approached by police who arrested him on a minor misdemeanour charge," Rooney's spokesperson said of the incident.

A D.C. United statement read: "We are aware of news reports indicating that Wayne Rooney was arrested in December. We understand the media's interest in this matter but believe this is a private matter for Wayne that D.C. United will handle internally. We have no further comment on the situation."

A former Manchester United striker, Rooney pleaded guilty andĀ received a two-year driving banĀ in September 2017 for driving under the influence in Wilmslow, England. Rooney was almost three times over the legal limit when he was pulled over by police.

Following the judgement, Rooney said at the time: "I want publicly to apologise for my unforgivable lack of judgement in driving while over the legal limit. It was completely wrong."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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