Coleen and Wayne Rooney have had to make their marriage work long-distance

She told The Sunday Mirror newspaper: "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.

"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!' We thought long and hard about it (moving to Devon) but with the kids it didn't work.

"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."

Coleen first started dating Wayne when they were teenagers and was catapulted into the public eye when his football career took off but admitted that she had to "grow up quick" and is now "protective" of her own kids when it comes to modern issues like social media.

She said: "I was wise for my age but I had to grow up quick. I wouldn't say I am more protective of him (Kai), I would say it opens your eyes that things can happen young and to make them aware.

"When Wayne was coming up, he wasn't on social media, whereas now there's a lot more of that and that's where you've got to prepare the kids for if they do go on to be successful.

"But the football academy they are in, and school as well, they have workshops and they prepare the kids for what you should and shouldn't do on social media. It's always good to nip in the bud earlier than later."