Wayne Rooney hospitalised filming BBC present with Man Utd legend ‘prone to surgical procedure’
Wayne Rooney was wearing a wrist support during the BBC’s live FA Cup final build-up and spoke openly about a hand injury sustained while saving a penalty from Jordan Pickford during BBC podcast filming
Wayne Rooney appeared on the BBC ahead of the FA Cup final to explain his injury(Image: BBC)
Wayne Rooney has sustained a hand injury which may require him to go under the knife. The England icon revealed details about the injury while appearing on the BBC’s live coverage before the 2026 FA Cup final, turning up for the broadcast sporting a wrist brace.
Rooney was amongst several guest analysts ahead of the showpiece between Manchester City and Chelsea. He reminisced about some of his own FA Cup experiences from previous years while also discussing the hand problem – picked up during a different BBC segment this week while recording with England shot-stopper Jordan Pickford for his podcast The Wayne Rooney Show.
“I went in goal and then it was a great save off Jordan and then I’ve messed my hand up,” Rooney explained. When host Jason Mohammad pressed for further details, the former frontman continued: “I’m with a surgeon. I’ve been in the hospital and I’m back on Monday.”
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Mohammad offered his best wishes to Rooney before shaking his uninjured hand. Rooney spent this week chatting to Pickford for a piece on the BBC programme and the duo worked through some goalkeeping exercises at Everton’s training facility.
While trying to stop Pickford’s spot-kick, Rooney threw himself across goal and damaged his left hand. Rooney’s session with the Everton goalkeeper also featured him taking part in various training drills, all carried out with a grin across his face.
The duo were briefly colleagues on Merseyside, with Rooney returning to the club in 2017 just days after Pickford’s arrival from Sunderland,, reports the Mirror.
Rooney has adapted seamlessly to punditry, having also dabbled in management following his retirement. His coaching spells weren’t particularly triumphant and he’s been absent from the touchline since departing Plymouth halfway through the 2024/25 campaign.
He secured numerous Premier League crowns but boasts just one FA Cup triumph. That arrived in 2016, when he led Manchester United to an extra-time triumph against Crystal Palace.
During a chat segment, Rooney and Pickford looked back on a meeting from before they became clubmates. The duo initially crossed paths on England duty, leaving the keeper utterly starstruck.
“I watched you growing up and when I was watching you in the Euros and getting in an England squad, everyone looked up to you,” Pickford said. “So even then [on the bus] I was texting saying: ‘I’m opposite Wazza.’ I was shaking.
“I was on the bench and it was a great experience. My dream was to play for England. We know there’s only that small percentage of kids growing up get that opportunity.”
