Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney might be making a mistake with his next career move

When Wayne Rooney was a player, it was hard to envisage him carving out a career for himself in the media. It was hard to envisage him doing anything but pestering defenders and scoring goals, such was his laser-like focus on his football.

Rooney didn't exactly seem media-friendly. With his skinhead, rough exterior and heavy Scouse accent, he was the archetypal street footballer, who grew up on the tough streets of Liverpool and didn't give an inch, on or off the pitch.

There is always more than meets the eye, however, and since retiring in 2021 Rooney has already reinvented himself a couple of times, showing the full range of his skills and personality. Who could have foreseen him as the flag-bearer for Derby County as they fought off financial ruin? Or as a spokesman for soccer in the States, a bona fide MLS icon?

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More recently the Manchester United great has turned his hand to punditry and, once again, he's been a big hit. Uninhibited by the usual restrictions that befall regular television pundits, Rooney has waltzed into the studio and simply shown the best of himself.

There were always the stories about Rooney the dressing room prankster. In his early United days, he once changed the TV channel at Carrington from the rugby league to the X-Factor simply to irritate Roy Keane. He and Darren Fletcher once cut holes in Wes Brown's much-loved trainers.

The recent story Rooney told on the BBC about bumping into Micah Richards in Manchester showed that more playful side of the former United hero, exposing his old Man City adversary in