Why Wayne Rooney's new job means he is at Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney is in attendance at the City Ground this evening as the Reds face Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup fifth round.

Rooney has joined the BBC's Match of the Day panel this evening to provide his expert analysis on this crucial cup tie for United. The 38-year-old has been without work since January when he was sacked by Championship side Birmingham City.

The former striker was surprisingly appointed at St Andrew's in October 2023 after John Eustace was fired with the Blues in the Championship play-offs. However, a disastrous 15-match spell was ended at the beginning of this year after Rooney managed just two victories.

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Speaking about his new job, Rooney said: "I’m so excited to be joining up with the team to cover what will undoubtedly be an action-packed tie in this historic competition. Having played and managed in the competition, it’s great to be on the other side of the camera this time and hopefully, I can bring some of that FA Cup experience to the coverage."

Rooney scored a total of 253 goals in 559 games for United. He's the all-time leading goalscorer in the club's history and won multiple major honours during his time at Old Trafford.

Despite dipping his toe into football punditry this evening, Rooney is still determined to return to football management at some stage. "I want to get back into managing and I want to prove myself – whether that's League Two, League One or Championship," Rooney said on a recent Stick to Football episode.

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