Wayne Rooney reveals medical condition that makes him ‘struggle’ | Football | Sport

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has revealed that he is deaf in his left ear and opened up about the difficulties this creates. The 40-year-old made the surprising medical revelation on a Match of the Day ‘Behind the Scenes’ programme, where he admitted the condition affects his punditry duties.

He was providing analysis for Saturday’s show, which included coverage of United’s convincing win over Manchester City. Rooney has never previously spoken publicly about his deafness, and it remains unclear when or for how long he has suffered from this hearing impairment.

The former England captain asked that a BBC crew member backstage at Match of the Day insert an earpiece in his right ear instead of his left.

Pointing to his right ear, he said: “Can I do it in this ear? I used to close the talkback. The problem is I’m deaf in my left ear. So when it’s too loud I struggle to hear what Kelly Cates [MOTD presenter] or whoever is saying.”

Rooney signed a lucrative contract with the BBC, reportedly worth £800,000 per year, to work as a regular pundit on the programme and launched his own podcast after stepping away from management. Nevertheless, he hasn’t dismissed the possibility of returning to the touchline in future.

The United icon had additional reasons to celebrate this weekend as he analysed United’s commanding 2-0 victory against City in Michael Carrick’s first match in charge.

Praising the opening goal, Rooney said: “When we talk about Manchester United‘s DNA, this is it.

“Sprinting forward, we’ve seen so many Manchester United goals over the years exactly like this. Ball goes into Bruno [Fernandes], into [Bryan] Mbeumo, and a great finish.”

Speaking about his ex-teammate Carrick, he added: “What a start for that man. There’s been a lot of talk this week about a start he couldn’t have dreamed of.

“That performance is the best I’ve seen from a Manchester United team in a long, long time.

“When you ask why Manchester United need ex-players back, it’s because Michael Carrick knows the club, knows the culture, knows the DNA of the football club, and you saw that today. They were absolutely outstanding.”