Wayne Rooney Launches New Show with Mark Goldbridge

Wayne Rooney is stepping even deeper into Manchester United’s modern media machine, fronting a new club-focused show alongside influencer Mark Goldbridge this season.

The former United and England captain will co-host Stick to United with Wayne Rooney, a spin-off built around the Overlap network’s growing presence in fan-led football coverage. Rooney is already a familiar face on the Overlap’s flagship panel show Stick to Football; now he gets a dedicated United platform next to one of the most divisive voices in the online fan space.

The move comes after Gary Neville, who founded The Overlap in 2021, bought Goldbridge’s YouTube channels The United Stand and That’s Football earlier this year. Neville paid an undisclosed seven-figure sum in April to bring the hugely popular fan channels under his Overlap umbrella, a deal that underlined how seriously traditional broadcasters and ex-pros now take the fan-media ecosystem they once kept at arm’s length.

This season, that ecosystem gets a major new backer. As part of a fresh distribution agreement with Disney+, Stick to United will air 50 episodes, while Stick to Football will run to 40 episodes across the campaign. Neville says the tie-up “expands our reach without compromising our identity” – a clear signal that The Overlap intends to keep its punchy, debate-heavy style while tapping into a global streaming audience.

Goldbridge, real name Brent di Cesare, brings serious numbers to the table. Across The United Stand and That’s Football, he has more than 3.8 million followers, with clips of his explosive rants and strong opinions routinely going viral. His arrival under Neville’s banner is striking, not least because Neville has previously taken aim at fan channels.

Back in 2017, he branded ArsenalFanTV “embarrassing” after supporters on the channel tore into Arsene Wenger following a 3-1 defeat by Chelsea. The criticism sparked a public spat on Twitter and eventually led to Neville appearing on the channel to explain his stance. Seven years on, he now owns two of the biggest fan platforms in the game and is pairing one of them with a Manchester United legend.

Rooney’s media portfolio continues to grow alongside this new venture. The Wayne Rooney Show will return to BBC platforms this season, while he keeps his role as a pundit on Match of the Day.

From the Old Trafford pitch to YouTube studios and streaming giants, Rooney’s next act is unfolding not in the dugout, but at the heart of football’s new broadcasting battleground.