Rooney named pundit of the year after £400k BBC deal ends management nightmare

Wayne Rooney was named pundit of the year at the Broadcast Sport Awards on Thursday, capping a remarkable turnaround for the former Manchester United and England captain whose managerial career ended in failure less than two years ago.

Rooney, 41, received the honour at a ceremony in London attended by 650 figures from the sports television industry. The recognition marks a significant personal milestone for a man who spent much of the early 2020s struggling to establish himself as a coach.

His managerial record was bleak by the end. After taking charge of Derby County in 2020 and DC United in 2022, Rooney returned to England in 2023 to replace John Eustace at Birmingham City, winning just twice in 15 matches before being sacked three months into the job. A subsequent appointment at Plymouth Argyle proved equally damaging — one win in 15 Championship games before he was dismissed again.

With management doors closing, Rooney leaned into punditry. Shortly after that tournament, he signed a permanent contract with Match of the Day ahead of the 2025-26 Premier League season, reported to be worth £400,000 a year, though Rooney’s name did not appear in the BBC’s published annual accounts — which legally must list any on-air talent earning over £178,000 directly from the licence fee — suggesting the figure may be lower.

He has since broadened his media portfolio considerably. Rooney launched a Manchester United podcast with YouTuber Mark Goldbridge on Gary Neville’s The Overlap network and co-hosts a BBC football trivia show, Can You Beat Wayne Rooney?, alongside comedian Alex Brooker. His most prominent assignment came during the 2026 World Cup, where he formed a well-received trio with former England team-mates Joe Hart and Micah Richards.

When asked earlier this year whether he would return to management, Rooney was candid about his current mindset. “Probably not,” he said. “Of course, I’ve never closed doors and never say never, but at the moment — where I am now, where my head space is — I wouldn’t.”

The Broadcast Sport Award suggests the punditry world has a different verdict on Rooney’s second career than the dugout ever managed to deliver.