Wayne Rooney 'lands £800k deal' to be Match of the Day pundit after Lineker exit
Wayne Rooney has reportedly signed an £800,000 deal to be a pundit on Match of the Day from next season. The England icon will join the BBC's flagship show following the departure of Gary Lineker as its host.
Lineker had fronted the programme for 25 years before departing at the end of last season. He had been due to continue hosting FA Cup fixtures and next summer's World Cup, but left the BBC altogether after controversy surrounding a social media post containing an anti-Semetic trope.
He has been replaced by Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates who will rotate as host of Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2, the Sunday highlights show.
And the trio will be joined by Rooney who will appear as a pundit, report The Sun. Rooney has dipped his toe into more punditry on the BBC and Sky Sports since he was sacked as Plymouth manager on New Year's Eve.
The deal is said to include the opportunity of a two-year extension, while Rooney is expected to feature as a pundit on the World Cup alongside the likes of Alan Shearer, Jurgen Klinsmann, Rio Ferdinand and Joe Hart.
Rooney, 39, is Manchester United's record goal scorer and held the England record at the time of his retirement. Harry Kane has since surpassed his tally for the Three Lions.
He burst on to the scene at boyhood club Everton before moving to Old Trafford where he scored 253 times in 559 appearances, winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League along the way.
Rooney returned to Everton in 2017 before heading Stateside to DC United. He became player-manager at Derby in 2020, where he hung up his boots.
He then returned to Washington to manage DC United, before unsuccessful spells at Birmingham and Plymouth. This latest career move could signal an end to his managerial aspirations.
Lineker hosted his final Match of the Day in May, and signed off with an emotional statement. "Alan [Shearer] and Micah [Richards], I suspect our paths will cross again very shortly," he said.
"Let me take this opportunity to thank all of the other pundits that I've had the pleasure of working with over the last 25 years, you've made my job so much easier.
"Also, a huge thank you to those you don't see at home: the work that goes into making this iconic show is a huge team effort. From the editors, to the analysis team, from the commentators to the floor managers, from the producers to the camera operators, from the PAs to the subs, thank you all, you're the very best.
"Rather like my football career, everyone else did all the hard work and I got the plaudits. It's been an absolute privilege to host Match of the Day for a quarter of a century. It's been utterly joyous. I'd like to wish Gabby, Mark and Kelly for when they sit in this chair - the programme is in the best of hands.
"And my final thank you goes to all of you. Thank you for watching. Thank you for all of your love and support over the years. It's been so special - and I'm sorry that your team was always on last. Time to say goodbye. Goodbye."
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