Wayne Rooney pulls out of Match of the Day role as Man United legend makes painful announcement

Former Manchester United player Wayne Rooney has explained his absence from BBC's Match of the Day on Saturday night

Ex-Manchester United star Wayne Rooney has confirmed that an injury prevented his first ever appearance on BBC's Match of the Day on Saturday night.

The former United and England has ventured into management during his post-playing days. He has enjoyed spells with Derby County and DC United in recent years, though is currently without a job following a torrid 15-game stint at Birmingham City towards the back end of 2023.

Plenty of speculation has occurred as to what Rooney's next career step will be, and it appears at least for the time being he has elected to give punditry a try. In recent weeks he has been seen offering opinions as part of Premier League Productions' coverage of the English top-flight.

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It seemed he would appear as a guest pundit on tonight's Match of the Day programme too, during which highlights of United's draw away to Bournemouth will be analysed. However, he was forced to pull out at the last minute due to "a painful back injury."

Taking to X at 9:53pm on Saturday night, Rooney posted the message: "Gutted not to be making my debut on the iconic @BBCMOTD show tonight, it’s something I have wanted to do since I was little.

"Unfortunately I have sustained a painful back injury during a holiday with my family but I look forward to being part of the team in the near future. Good luck to @GaryLineker and the guys for tonight's show and see you soon.

Fellow former professional Lineker, as referenced by Rooney, hosts the show, and was joined by ex-Arsenal man Martin Keown and ex-Man City defender Micah Richards instead.

The official Match of the Day X account replied to Rooney's initial post, writing: "Looking forward to having you on soon."