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4th March 2024
04:12pm GMT
On Monday, TNT Sports announced Wayne Rooney would be a pundit for their coverage of Manchester United vs Everton on Saturday. This comes after he appeared as a pundit on the BBC’s coverage of Nottingham Forest vs United in the FA Cup fifth round last week.
Reacting to the announcement, plenty of football fans seemed to take this as an admission from Rooney that his managerial career hadn’t worked out.
One person wrote on X: “I guess this is his job as managing didn’t work out now then.”
Another commented: “Should stick to punditry as he can’t manage.”
A third said: “I think he should pursue this punditry thing and leave management alone… Maybe punditry is his thing.”
Meanwhile, others had the complete opposite idea, and reckon Rooney should enquire about the managerial position at Old Trafford whilst he’s there with TNT.
“Make man united give him chance the way Arsenal give Arteta,” one person commented.
A second penned: “It’s time for Rooney to replace Ten hag at the end of the season as a Man United coach.”
Someone else wrote: “He should be the manager of utd after ten hag.”
The 38-year-old started his playing career at Everton and became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history when he scored a last minute winner against Arsenal five days before his 17th birthday.
After two seasons at the Toffees, he joined United and went on to achieve legendary status at the club. Over a 13-year spell at Old Trafford, Rooney made 559 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 253 goals and becoming the club’s all time top goalscorer.
After a return to Everton and brief spells at Derby and in the MLS, Rooney entered the world of management.
This included spells in charge of Derby and MLS side D.C. United.
Most recently he was appointed as manager of Birmingham City, however he was sacked from the role after less than three months.
His punditry appearances are the first work Rooney has done since his spell at Birmingham.
But he is said to already a wanted man by broadcasters as one of the biggest names in British football, so don’t rule out the possibility of Rooney appearing on shows such as Match of the Day in the coming weeks or months.
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