Wayne Rooney has opened up about his life at home with his wife Coleen and their three sons Kai, Klay and Kit.
The England football captain admitted that he was occasionally smacked as a child, but he has other ways of dealing with his boys when they're badly behaved. He and Coleen used to resort to a 'naughty step' to keep Kai, six, and Klay, three, in line.
"We did have one, but we haven't used it for a while now," Wayne told Mail Online. "We realised it wasn't working!"
"I think the right way to deal with your kids if they are being a bit naughty is to talk to them," said Wayne
"I had the occasional smack, probably when I deserved it (laughs) but it wasn't something my parents used regularly," he said. "I think the right way to deal with your kids if they are being a bit naughty is to talk to them – talking to them can always help a lot more than smacking them. It's so important." Wayne, who is supporting the NSPCC's Little Star's charity Christmas campaign, pitches in at home when he isn't playing for Manchester United. "Kai has homework every day, and it's got a little bit harder this year, but he's doing really well with it," said Wayne. "It's different to the things I learnt. I was at football with him the other day and one of the other parents asked me to help them with their kid's homework! Some of it can be quite tricky."
Wayne and Coleen, 30, welcomed their son Kit in January
Wayne and Coleen's eldest son seems to be taking after his dad and is showing more interest in becoming a professional footballer. "It's up to him if he does it – I wouldn't be too bothered either way," said the dad-of-three. "If he does, that's up to him. Certainly every day he's obsessed by football, and every day he asked if I think he's good enough, so I'm sure he'll have a go and see if he can." Wayne and Coleen, both 30, started dating as teenagers and went on to marry in 2008. They welcomed their youngest son Kit in January.