Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney announces next career step after sacking

Wayne Rooney will work as a pundit for the BBC as his former side Manchester United take on Nottingham Forest in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Wednesday night.

Rooney was sacked from his job as Birmingham City's manager last month after a run of nine defeats in 15 games left the club toward the bottom of the Championship table.

The 38-year-old has managed Derby County, DC United and Birmingham since retiring as a player, but his management spell hasn't gone to plan and he's now waiting for another opportunity, although he's kept busy with media appearances since he was sacked at St. Andrew's.

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Rooney recently spoke to Gary Neville's podcast for an hour-long interview and he will make his debut as a pundit for FA Cup coverage as United play Forest.

After a disappointing campaign, the FA Cup is the only option for silverware for United this season and Rooney will be in the studio at the City Ground to watch the game.

The BBC announced on Monday that Rooney would be on punditry duty and he said: “Watching the BBC’s coverage of the FA Cup every year was always very special growing up.

"I’m so excited to be joining up with the team to cover what will undoubtedly be an action-packed tie in this historic competition. Having played and managed in the competition, it’s great to be on the other side of the camera this time and hopefully I can bring some of that FA Cup experience to the coverage.”

Rooney scored a total of 253 goals in 559 games for United. He's the all-time leading goalscorer in the club's history and won multiple major honours during his time at Old Trafford.

His oldest son, Kai, plays for United's academy