Cliff Notes – Wayne Rooney lands £800,000 Match of the Day deal after Gary Lineker’s exit
- Wayne Rooney has reportedly signed a two-year, £800,000 deal with the BBC to join Match of the Day, marking a significant career shift from football management.
- Rooney is expected to contribute to the show’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup, enhancing its expertise following Gary Lineker’s departure.
- The move is part of a broader shake-up at Match of the Day, with Rooney’s previous guest appearances having garnered positive viewer feedback.
Wayne Rooney ‘lands £800,000 Match of the Day deal’ after Gary Lineker’s exit
Match of the Day is said to be welcoming a very famous face to its presenting roster following Gary Lineker’s exit.
Wayne Rooney has reportedly signed a big-money deal with the BBC in a bid to start a new chapter away from football management.
It’s said the former England player, 39, has secured £800,000 for the gig, which will see him appear on MOTD for two years with the possibility of an extension.
What’s more, Rooney should be involved in the show’s 2026 World Cup coverage, jetting to the US, Canada, and Mexico to bring viewers the highlights.
A source told The Sun about the rumoured punditry deal: ‘Wayne is a natural broadcaster; he is warm, witty, and forensically knowledgeable about all aspects of the game.
‘He still has a deep love for football and also gets on well with everyone on both sides of the camera.’
He’s no stranger to a MOTD guest slot
They added: ‘He is eminently likeable and has impressed on his outings to date—viewers have also really taken to him, which has been clear from social media commentary.
‘Wayne will be a key part of next year’s World Cup coverage, which is a massive coup, and will provide some much-needed expertise on Match of the Day in the wake of Gary’s departure.’
It’s believed that ‘everyone’, including the Beeb’s Director of Sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, is ‘incredibly excited to get him on board’, with the insider declaring it a ‘great signing’.
Rooney’s new MOTD role will reportedly be unveiled officially later this month.
Whispers actually began at the start of the year, with the same publication claiming Rooney was in talks for a MOTD slot as early as January.
At the time, he was freshly sacked from his fourth management job, having secured just one win with Plymouth Argyle in 14 games.
It was later reported that Rooney was looking to venture further into punditry, and it was said the role could’ve earned him up to £200,000 a year, depending on how many appearances he were to make. But now, that figure looks to have increased drastically.
Having already proven he can talk the talk in various guest appearances previously, Rooney’s next role is likely a natural progression.
It also takes him and wife Coleen one step closer to a total TV takeover, given how she reportedly signed a £10million deal with Disney in March to star in a documentary with Wayne and their four sons: Kai, 15, Klay, 11, Kit, eight, and Cass, six.
Rooney is widely considered one of Britain’s greatest-ever footballers. Not only was he Manchester United’s best goalscorer with 253 goals, but he was also England’s record goalscorer from 2015 to 2023.
He retired from professional footie in 2021 after being appointed permanent manager of Derby, and now frequently dabbles in punditry.
By joining MOTD this year, he is part of a huge shake-up at the long-running programme, which was hosted by Lineker, 64, for 26 years.
The broadcaster fronted his final show on May 26, visibly tearful as he reflected on his career and thanked those with whom he had worked.
Lineker confirmed he would be leaving the BBC completely after catching backlash for sharing an Instagram Story about Zionism.
His since-deleted post featured a rat emoji, which has been historically used as an antisemitic trope.
The host later issued an unreserved apology for the ‘hurt and upset caused’ by the video, stating it was a ‘genuine mistake’ and that he was unaware of the meaning behind it.
In his place, Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates, and Mark Chapman will share the presenting role on Match of the Day from the next Premier League season.
Meanwhile, Leicester-born Lineker is already making new moves in his career, having moved his hugely popular The Rest is Football podcast, which he hosts with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, to DAZN.