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Wayne Rooney lands £800k deal to be Match of the Day pundit as he and wife Coleen become TV’s new power couple
WAYNE Rooney has landed an £800,000 two-year deal to be a Match of the Day regular.
The ex-England ace, 39, will be officially unveiled this month after shining as a guest.
He is also signed up for the channel’s 2026 World Cup coverage from the US, Mexico and Canada.
Wayne’s contract includes the possibility of a two-year extension.
It means he could move away from football management for good as he and wife Coleen become the new power couple of British TV.
He will join rotating Match of the Day anchors Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan as the show moves on from host of 26 years Gary Lineker.
Wayne is a natural broadcaster; he is warm, witty and forensically knowledgeable about all aspects of the game. Source
In March Coleen agreed to a reported £10million deal with Disney which will see her and Wayne appear in a documentary with their four sons.
A source said: “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 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.
“Everyone, including Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski, is incredibly excited to get him on board. It’s a great signing.”
The source added: “With Coleen’s amazing Disney contract, and Wayne’s new BBC one, they will officially become one of the country’s most influential media power couples. It’s a very exciting time.”
Match of the Day’s 3.5million audience has remained almost unchanged despite a digital age which means fans can stream goals online almost instantly.
Over a season, the BBC says 33million people will tune in at some time to one of the weekend’s two programmes.
Kay-Jelski is keen to use the shake-up as an opportunity to use the MOTD brand name more widely on its online platforms.
Meanwhile, Wayne will also be a big part of the World Cup team
Alan Shearer, Rio Ferdinand, Jurgen Klinsmann, Vincent Kompany and Joe Hart are expected to be pundits, and newly retired Mary Earps could also debut.
Lineker, 64, had been due to anchor the global tournament for the final time but quit the BBC amid an antisemitism row.
Wayne scored 53 goals for England and is Manchester United’s all-time top goalscorer with 253.
He retired from playing while coaching at Derby County in 2021.
There followed unsuccessful managerial spells with his former club DC United in the States and Birmingham City.
On New Year’s Eve, Wayne left Plymouth Argyle by mutual consent — saving the club from paying him and allowing it to reinvest the funds.
Last night the BBC said: “We will announce our World Cup plans in due course.”
