Wayne Rooney reveals he is deaf in left ear on Match of the Day behind-the-scenes

According to Goal, Wayne Rooney said in a "Behind the Scenes" Match of the Day video that he is deaf in his left ear.

The former England captain and Manchester United’s all-time leading goalscorer told crew while being readied that he needs an earpiece fitted on the right-hand side because "I’m deaf in my left ear." He asked, "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, who has returned to punditry after putting a managerial career on hold, is tied to a BBC contract and appears regularly on Match of the Day; he has also worked with Channel 4 and Amazon Prime. There is no official word on how he lost hearing in his left ear, though he did require 45 stitches in that area after slipping on a luxury yacht in the French Riviera in 2009. Rooney spent 13 years at Old Trafford, scoring 253 goals and winning five Premier League titles and a Champions League crown.

What is known is limited: the cause of his deafness has not been confirmed, and Rooney remains an active pundit and observer of Manchester United as they prepare for a Premier League trip to table-topping Arsenal, with United sitting fifth in the table, one point behind fourth-placed Liverpool.

Key Topics

Sports, Wayne Rooney, Manchester United, Motd, Premier League, Michael Carrick