Wayne Rooney says a "painful back injury" suffered during a family holiday prevented him from making his debut on Match of the Day this Saturday.
The former Manchester United and England captain, 38, had been lined up to appear alongside Gary Lineker on the iconic BBC show but was forced to pull out. Saturday's programme instead went ahead with host Lineker being joined by Arsenal legend Martin Keown and ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards.
Less than an hour before the show aired, Rooney took to social media platform X to explain that he wouldn't be appearing as an MOTD pundit for the first time. "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," the former Premier League striker wrote.
"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 tonights show and see you soon."
Responding to Rooney's post, Lineker said: "There'll be other opportunities. Get fit soon." Match of the Day's official X account also replied to him by saying: "Looking forward to having you on soon."
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Rooney has been working as a TV pundit since being sacked as manager of Birmingham City in January, his third coaching job. The 38-year-old was only in charge for 15 games and mustered just two wins.
He's keen to get back on the horse, though, as Rooney recently stated on the Stick to Football podcast amid speculation surrounding a potential exhibition boxing match: "I want to focus on getting back into management, that's my focus. I've seen it all over the last couple of days, all the headlines, but my main focus is getting back into football."
Your turn! Can Wayne Rooney turn his managerial career around? Join the debate in the comments section.
He also wants to coach United or his beloved Everton, saying in February: "Managing Manchester United or Everton is the aim, these big jobs are where you want to get to. But it's a process I have got to go through the steps and get myself back on track. I want to get myself back into management to make sure in the next 10 years I'm hopefully in a position to go into one of the big jobs."
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