Gabby Logan made a brutal joke about Wayne Rooney's hair on the latest episode of Match of the Day, leaving fellow pundit Joe Hart in stitches.
Rooney's Hair Comment Sparks Laughter
BBC pundit Wayne Rooney was discussing Dan Ballard's sending off during Sunderland's 1-1 draw with Wolves on Saturday. Ballard was shown a red card in the first half at Molineux after referee Paul Tierney reviewed the incident on Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare on the pitch-side monitor. Sunderland defender Ballard was judged to have pulled his opponent's hair, which was deemed violent conduct.
The decision proved to be a turning point in the game as the Black Cats had to play much of it with 10 men, before going on to concede and draw 1-1. It led to a conversation on Match of the Day about how the laws surrounding hair pulling are being applied and whether the act should automatically be deemed violent conduct.
Offering a light-hearted approach to the debate, Manchester United legend Rooney said with a cheeky smile: "That's why I didn't grow a ponytail when I was playing," before chuckling.
Logan, not missing a beat, quipped: "And that's not the only reason, let's be honest," leaving pundit Joe Hart in tears of laughter. The presenter and Rooney were both referencing the fact the former striker sported shaved or receding hair for almost the entirety of his career and likely could not grow his hair out in the same way.
Rooney's Shock at Hair Pulling Punishments
Returning to the more serious topic at hand, Rooney outlined his shock at the severity with which hair pulling incidents have been punished in the Premier League this season. He said: "I just can't believe I'm sitting on Match of the Day talking about players getting sent off for pulling hair. I think it's ridiculous. I think if that's the rule, the rule has to change because it's getting absolutely ridiculous. When you are playing, it is a physical game and you do grab on to the shirt, you are trying to get an upper hand on your opponent. And sometimes if there's a big flock of hair, then you're going to grab it at some point."
Logan noted the lack of clarity within the current framework. She said: "Because there is a grey area. There has to be some nuance. And of course, at the moment, it sits in violent conduct. And there will be some which are violent, but not all."
Hart added: "I've seen a lot more violent things happen this weekend and none of them punished for it."
Ballard became the third player this season to be sent off for hair pulling. Arokodare was also on the receiving end of a hair pull by Michael Keane in January, while Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez was shown a red for something similar on Dominic Calvert-Lewin last month.
