Coleen Rooney pens an emotional tribute to her late sister Rosie

Coleen Rooney has paid tribute to her sister Rosie on Tuesday, eight years after she tragically died at the age of 14.

Rosie passed away in 2013 following her lifelong battle with Rett syndrome, a rare brain disorder that causes severe disabilities. 

The WAG, 34, took to Instagram on the anniversary of her death to pen an emotional tribute, as she said she loved and missed her sister ‘every day’.

Coleen shared a black-and-white photo where she held her sister in her arms, as they smiled while spending time together.

Writing a moving tribute to Rosie, Coleen said: ‘8 years since our Rosie got her angel wings and flew to heaven to dance and run free. 

‘My boys speak about you all the time Ro, wish they all could have met you. Love and miss you every day.’

Rosie was originally taken in as a foster child by Coleen’s parents, bricklayer Tony and Colette, a former nursery nurse, when she was two. Although they were aware she was disabled they did not know the full extent of her condition, which has no cure. 

In an exclusive article for The Mail on Sunday in 2006, Coleen wrote: ‘When Rosie arrived she could crawl, and even though she couldn’t use her hands that much she would handle toys on her play mat and she could eat. 

‘But over a period of time she stopped crawling and lost what use of her hands she had. Then she started having problems swallowing her food. 

‘It took pretty much a year for Rosie to be diagnosed and, looking back, I can see how much Mum pushed to find out what was wrong with her and to try to do what was best for her.’  

Coleen was said to idolise her adopted sister and chose Rosie as chief bridesmaid when she married Wayne in 2008.

In a statement released shortly after her death, Tony and Colette wrote: ‘Sadly our special angel Rosie, our much-loved daughter and sister, went to Heaven at 2.50 this morning at home where she was surrounded by her loving family.

‘Rosie was just 14 years old and fought a lifelong battle with Rett syndrome. Throughout her life she brought so much love and happiness to all our family and everyone who knew and met her.

‘She was such a strong little girl and an inspiration to us all. We shall cherish for ever the memories we have shared and the love she showed us each and every day of her life. As a family we are heartbroken but we are blessed to have had her in our lives.’

Coleen had been on holiday in Barbados with her younger brothers, Joe and Anthony, but cut short the trip when she heard that Rosie’s condition had deteriorated. 

It’s now more than a year since Coleen accused Rebekah Vardy of leaking false stories about her personal life to the media last year.  

Coleen had help from ‘third parties’ to draft her ‘Wagatha Christie’ statement accusing Rebekah of leaking her private information to the press, court papers claim.

Rebekah’s lawyers allege that a team of people – including solicitors – read over Mrs Rooney’s statement before it was published on her social media accounts.

Should accusations that it was ‘prepared in advance’ with help from others be proved true, questions will be asked about whether Coleen’s five-month investigation into the leaks was thorough enough.

Lawyers claim Coleen didn’t properly look into whether the leaked information could have come from her or her husband’s team of staff – and not Rebekah.

In the statement on October 9, 2019, the wife of former England star Wayne Rooney claimed fellow footballer’s wife Rebekah shared fake stories she had posted on her personal Instagram account with The Sun newspaper.

Coleen famously wrote: ‘I have saved and screenshotted all the original stories which clearly show just one person has viewed them. It’s ……………. Rebekah Vardy’s account.’

Mrs Vardy – who is married to Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy – denies the accusations and is suing Mrs Rooney for damages for libel at the High Court in London.

Rebekah’s lawyers say the simultaneously-timed posts – on Mrs Rooney’s Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts – sought ‘maximum publicity for the defendant’s message’. 

The documents, seen by The Sun, read: ‘The post… appears to have been prepared in advance.

‘It is inferred that the defendant had already reached a (false) conclusion to responsibility on a flawed “investigation” and rushed to publication without properly considering the evidence or making any further inquiry. 

Rebekah’s legal team have now requested to know when the post was written and who knew what information at what stage.

A spokesperson for Coleen thinks the libel case will be defended successfully.  

Last month, court papers claimed Rebekah admitted getting cash from photographers when they sell pictures of her and her family.

She said she ‘would receive a percentage of the revenue from their syndication’ to news organisations.

It came after Mrs Vardy dragged two more stars into her High Court war this week.

Legal papers sent to the High Court and seen by MailOnline show Coleen claimed Rebekah ‘worked with a number of agencies to bolster her public persona’.

They allege Rebekah ‘insisted’ the wives and girlfriends of England’s 2018 World Cup team in Russia posed for a team picture outside a restaurant in St Petersburg

Coleen claims Rebekah ‘did not let the others know’ she ‘arranged’ for a ‘paparazzo to be outside to photograph them’. 

She then says the image was sold on to a newspaper in Britain and that it could be ‘inferred’ Rebekah  ‘received payment directly or indirectly’.

Coleen denies the claims and said she ‘had nothing to do with the photograph’ and ‘received no payment’.

But she said she had worked with agencies to ‘take photographs’ of her, ‘her family or pets on the basis that she would receive a percentage of the revenue from their syndication’.