Wayne Rooney explains why he has two plastic tubes up his nose after delaying surgery

Wayne Rooney has explained the reason for his plastic-tubed nose after delaying surgery for years, to repair two breaks he suffered during his playing days.

The Manchester United legend spoke with Mark Goldbridge on Disney+’s ‘Stick to United’ show, and explained his reason for appearing under the weather.

At the time of recording, Rooney was just a week out from undergoing surgery to correct long-term damage to his nose, with two tubes within his nostrils causing vocal alteration.

The 40-year-old revealed the two breaks occurred in the mid to late 2010s, the first of which came during Manchester United’s FA Cup clash, a 3-1 victory, against Preston North End in 2015.

Years later, his playing career took him to the MLS, where he broke his nose for a second time while playing for DC United in July 2018, which he described as “a bad one.”

In that game, Rooney was seen with blood streaming down his face, after the back of an opponent’s head clattered into his nose, which provoked lasting damage until undergoing surgery this year.

The Manchester United legend also revealed that team-mate Marouane Fellaini broke his nose in the same match at Deepdale back in 2015; now, Rooney has two plastic tubes up his nostrils after finally going under the knife.

Rooney explains plastic-tubed nose during worse for wear ‘Stick to United’ appearance

The 40-year-old expressed gratitude for his issues being limited to just nostril tubes, confessing that his appearance could have looked far worse.

“It's actually really lucky I've got no black eyes, but I've still got two plastic tubes up my nose, which are coming out very soon,” revealed Rooney.

“So, they've cut [under my nostrils]... So, that's all stitched - a little bit uncomfortable,” he continued, lifting his head to show Goldbridge.

Rooney confessed that he has put off undergoing surgery for years, then decided earlier this summer that he would bite the bullet after the World Cup.

“I needed surgery, but I've never had it,” said the 40-year-old. “Put it off. Then this summer I thought ‘Get the World Cup out of the way, and I'll get it done.’ So [I] had it done last week. Went well, but these tubes were horrible.”

Rooney also reflected on his first break against Preston, and compared it to Fellaini’s experience jokingly, stating that he didn’t miss a single game unlike his Red Devils team-mate.

The Red Devils legend also recalled an additional memory from the FA Cup clash at Deepdale in which he broke his nose for the first time: “a bit of a dive” that won his side a penalty.

For DC, the Manchester United legend scored his first goal for the MLS side in the same match that he endured a second broken nose, during an incident involving Colorado Rapids’ Niki Jackson.

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In the same interview, Rooney reflected on his Red Devils legacy, and publicly backed Marcus Rashford, whose future at Old Trafford is currently in doubt, to break a long-standing record of his.