Wayne Rooney has reportedly landed a lucrative deal to become a regular pundit on the new-look Match of the Day.
According to The Sun, the deal penned by the former England footballer will include a full-time two-year stint and will also see him work as a panellist for the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Rooney’s involvement will reportedly be announced later this month, and is said to also include the possibility of a two-year extension.
The deal could likely signal a brief end for Rooney’s managerial career following unsuccessful spells in charge of Derby County, DC United and Birmingham City. His last position, as coach of Plymouth Argyle, came to an end on 31 December 2024 after winning just five games out of the 25 that took place during his tenure.
Speaking to talkSPORT in June, Rooney did hint that he would be concentrating on more media work when asked about plans for his immediate future. “Obviously, just doing some TV work at the minute, so that’s what I’m doing,” he explained. “I’m enjoying it. So, that’s where I’ll be.”
Rooney, who retired from professional football in 2021, has impressed with various punditry appearances on the BBC and Sky Sports. He’ll be joining the likes of Alan Shearer, Micah Richards and Danny Murphy among the current analysts on Match of the Day.
The flagship BBC programme will undergo its first major change in years when the new football season begins in August, when the trio of Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman replace long-time host Gary Lineker.
The role will be shared between the three presenters for the first time, with the trio dividing duties between Saturday’s main show, Match Of The Day 2 on Sundays, and the latest addition to the football highlights schedule – Match Of The Day: Champions League – on Wednesdays.
Lineker had been set to front the BBC’s coverage of next summer’s World Cup and next season's FA Cup, but quit in May, after he apologised for the “hurt and upset caused” by a social media post.
In an Instagram video, Lineker apologised for sharing the post, which was created by someone else and contained an antisemitic image. The post in question expressed criticism of Zionism while featuring an emoji of a rat. After deleting the post, Lineker explained: “Unfortunately, I did not see the emoji. If I had, I would never, ever have shared it. The minute I was made aware, I quickly deleted the post and went on to make an apology.”
