Manchester has long known Wayne Rooney as the forward who could settle a match with one swing of his right foot. Now, at 40, the former Manchester United and England captain is shaping a different public life: away from management, without alcohol, and with television projects taking him from the BBC studio towards a possible British jungle reality show.
Rooney has stopped drinking as he prepares for punditry work with the BBC during the World Cup, and the decision has continued after he felt the benefits of the change. He is now in advanced discussions over an appearance on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, the programme built around celebrity confinement and survival challenges in the jungle.
A deal would place him in the same format that featured his wife, Coleen Rooney, in 2024. She finished second in that series, and Rooney is said to be keen to match or better her result while giving their four children the chance to see how he handles the programme’s tests.
There is also a fresh quiz venture on the way. In Can You Beat Wayne Rooney?, Rooney will meet guests from sport and entertainment in football question-and-answer contests. The show plays directly to a competitive streak that was evident throughout his playing career, from Everton’s teenage prodigy to Manchester United’s record scorer.
“Anyone who knows me understands that I compete in everything,” Rooney said when the project was announced. “It can be football, padel, golf or even rowing on the Hudson River. Every guest will arrive believing they can beat me, and I do not enjoy losing.”
A turn after the dugout
The television work follows a demanding but unsettled spell in coaching. Since ending his playing career in 2021, Rooney has managed Derby County in England, DC United in the United States, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle. His most recent job, at Plymouth, ended in December 2024.
His standing at Old Trafford remains secure. Signed from Everton in 2004, Rooney spent 13 seasons with United before leaving in 2017, having scored 253 goals to become the club’s all-time leading scorer. He won five English league titles and lifted the Champions League in 2007/08, a central figure in one of the defining United sides of the modern era.
That competitive edge was still visible when Rooney recently returned for a Manchester United Legends fixture against Celtic Legends, finding the net with a striking free-kick. The old instincts remain; the setting around them is changing.
