Wayne Rooney couldn't resist a cheeky dig at Manchester City in his new role covering the Champions League on Amazon Prime. The former England striker, 39, become Amazon's marquee signing for the Champions League knockout phase after losing his job at Plymouth Argyle at the turn of the year. Rooney's first assignment was a biggie: City's huge showdown with Real Madrid for the first leg of their play-off match to reach the last 16 of this year's new-look competition. But Manchester United's all-time record goalscorer couldn't resist a cheeky nod to his Old Trafford days.
Speaking right at the start of Amazon's broadcast, he said of The Etihad: "Obviously, it's a stadium I've scored a lot of goals in... So I'm sure I'll get a nice welcome!". Rooney scored six goals at The Etihad during his playing career and the quip went down a storm with United fans online, with plenty of them pointing it out on social media. He also had his colleagues, Gabby Logan, Daniel Sturridge and Clarence Seedorf, in stitches again minutes later when he made a comment about the rain and his hair having undergone hair transplants in the past.
Rooney joked: "I hope the rain doesn't come down any more, my hair will be all over the place!". Rooney has been courted by a host of broadcasters since getting the chop from Argyle, where he won just four league fixtures and left the club bottom of the Championship table. Join the debate! Would you like to see Rooney get back into management? Let us know here. The former striker's future in management is up in the air after being dismissed. Rooney lost his job at Birmingham City after a poor spell in charge after a stint in the United States with D.C. United in the MLS.
He did, though, outline a desire to return to the dugout during a recent appearance on The Overlap, where he was asked what the future held. "I would like to go back in [to management]," he confirmed. "But it would have to be the right club. Certainly the right club.". Rooney continued: "I think you always have that ego, don't you? You always have that confidence you could go in and get the best out of a bad or difficult situation. Obviously, that wasn't the case [at Plymouth]. I am going to enjoy time with my family, though.".
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