Wayne Rooney left former England teammate Joe Hart astonished after revealing his unusual bedtime habit during the BBC's coverage of England's World Cup last-16 match against Mexico. The match, originally scheduled to kick off at 6pm local time (1am UK), was delayed by an hour due to lightning threats, forcing the stadium to activate its thunderstorm protocol. The new kick-off time was set for 7pm (2am UK).
Pundits Fill Time During Delay
As the BBC panel—comprising Kelly Cates, Micah Richards, Joe Hart, and Rooney—worked to keep viewers entertained, Cates initiated a conversation about unusual sleep routines. She referenced a past controversy involving Frank Lampard and a physio who used to rub his feet to help him sleep. Rooney then interjected, saying, "To be fair, I think I used to keep Harty (Joe Hart) up a few times with the hairdryer."
Cates responded, "See I told you that you both have previous for keeping people up early in the morning," prompting Richards to ask, "What's the hairdryer story?" Rooney hesitated, saying, "It's been out there," but Richards pressed, "Well, we've got an hour to fill."
Rooney's Unusual Habit Revealed
Rooney then explained, "If I'm in a hotel by myself sleeping by myself, I'd sleep with the hairdryer on and Harty used to room next to me when we were with England and he'd know when I was asleep because he heard the hairdryer going off." The revelation caught Hart off guard, who humorously remarked, "I didn't even know him that well, I thought he was hoovering."
The anecdote added a lighthearted moment to the broadcast, as fans awaited the delayed match. Rooney's habit, previously mentioned in other contexts, became a talking point during the extended pre-match analysis.
