Wayne Rooney makes punditry return with joke at expense of Man City as Man Utd legend pokes fun at former rivals ahead of Real Madrid showdown

Rooney was back to work as a pundit, following his exit from Plymouth, and was at the Etihad Stadium to catch Manchester City's crunch Champions League play-off against Real Madrid for Amazon Prime. Speaking ahead of kick-off, the former Manchester United ace was quick to stick the boot into Pep Guardiola's side with a wry joke that had his fellow pundits smiling.

He said: "Obviously [the Etihad] is a stadium I've scored a lot of goals in. So, I'm sure I'll get a really nice welcome! No, it's great to be here and I'm excited for the game."

Rooney has been in demand as a pundit despite his managerial struggles and may be set to stay on TV screens. However, the former England star has admitted he could be tempted to return to management if the "right" club and position were to become available. In the meantime, he will enjoy casting his eye over some of the most high-profile games currently on offer, with Real Madrid's clash with Manchester City the standout tie of the last 16 Champions League play-off fixtures.

Rooney will no doubt be hoping to watch more goals at the Etihad during his stint. There will certainly be plenty of attacking talent on offer, with Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe all starting the game.