Howzat? 3.9 / 6

As with most tabloid headlines, you shouldn’t be fooled by this one here. The “admission” by Rooney isn’t as explosive as it may first seem. In fact, this entire podcast is like that: more posturing than a posing postman, so-to-speak. 

We have to start with the man-brand himself, Gary Neville, and his relentless character. On one hand, the former Manchester United and England player has an enviable lust of business (and life), propelling him and his business to be up there at the very forefront of British football and culture. 

On the other hand, it’s bloody annoying.  

Gary Neville, the ex-footballer, is a natural fit for all things media. Gary Neville, “the brand”, somewhat cringeworthy.

So, onto the show itself: it’s good. But it very much feels like a TV show first, podcast second – the format isn’t outlined at the beginning; no-one on the panel is introduced; and, as a listener, it’s difficult to know where the questions are directed without the visual clues. 

As you may have guessed from the title, Rooney is there but as for the others? Who knows… someone’s Scottish but in the end, I gave up caring. 

Rooney remains the vanilla-Scouse-monotoned-voice throughout, so no surprises there. But what is insightful is the access a guest like that can afford you: little insights into an international dressing room from previous England games; anecdotes about Ronaldo (“I wanted to get him sent off!” blah blah blah); Rooney being candid about that Iceland defeat; how a dressing room really operates, it goes on.

At the end of the day, Gary Neville doesn’t need anyone else in the room because he could talk for England.

It’s a nice reminder that, yes, ex-professionals make for fantastic pundits but one should never underestimate the role of a professionally media-trained presenter to hold these things together.