Wayne Rooney has opened up about his noticeably slimmer appearance, saying he has been working hard in the gym to lose weight while rejecting speculation that he used weight-loss injections.
The former England and Manchester United striker, 40, attracted attention when he appeared noticeably leaner at the premiere of his new Disney+ series, The Real Rooneys, with wife Coleen on Sept. 23. The couple’s 10-part series began streaming on Sept. 24.
Rooney addressed online speculation that he had used weight-loss medication to achieve the change. Speaking to the Daily Mail ahead of the show’s premiere, he said he had been “working really hard” to lose weight and disputed claims that he had been using a weight-loss injection.
The change in his appearance comes after Rooney faced increased public attention over his weight in recent years. His latest appearance has prompted renewed discussion about how the former footballer has changed since stepping away from his playing career and moving further into coaching and media work.
Rooney’s transformation is not the only change he has recently discussed. He also revealed that he underwent surgery on his nose, although he stressed that the procedure was medical rather than cosmetic.
The former footballer explained that he had broken his nose twice during his playing career. One injury occurred while he was playing for Manchester United against Preston North End in 2015, while another happened during his time with MLS club DC United. The injuries eventually left him unable to breathe properly through one side of his nose.
Rooney said the operation was also connected to his long-standing snoring problem. Coleen had encouraged him to undergo the procedure partly because of the issue, while Rooney said he had eventually decided to have the problem corrected.
The couple’s new Disney+ series gives viewers a closer look at their family life, careers and relationship. They have been married since 2008 and have four sons: Kai, Klay, Kit and Cass. Coleen has previously said the family had been approached about making a reality series for years, but they waited until they felt the timing was right.
Rooney has also increasingly appeared in the media as a football pundit following his managerial career. His slimmer appearance had already attracted attention during television appearances earlier in 2026, with reports describing a visible change in his physique and presentation.
However, Rooney’s own explanation is more straightforward: he says the weight loss has come from putting in more work at the gym, rather than relying on the injections that have been speculated about online.
His comments also highlight how closely public figures’ appearances can be scrutinised, particularly when changes become visible after years in the spotlight. In Rooney’s case, the attention has coincided with a new stage of his career and the launch of a documentary series centred on his family.
The bigger question now is whether Rooney’s latest physical transformation marks the start of a longer-term lifestyle change—and how the former football star’s new chapter in television and football media will develop.
