Wayne Rooney to manage England at Soccer Aid 2020 at Old Trafford

The 2020 match had been originally scheduled for Sunday 6 June. However, in light of the coronavirus outbreak and for the health and safety of all involved, a decision was taken to postpone the game until it was safe to reconvene. The exact date and time of the match will be announced by ITV in the coming week.

The well-being of everyone connected to Soccer Aid for Unicef is of paramount importance. The game’s resumption is happening in line with UK Government advice and stringent health and safety protocols, which will be overseen by Prenetics – the same testing company being used by professional football.

The Rooney managerial appointment follows the first group of players who will take part in September’s behind-closed-doors’ game. Jason Manford, Joel Dommett, Santan Dave, James Bay, Kelly Smith MBE, Patrice Evra, David James and Lianne Sanderson will make their Soccer Aid for Unicef debuts alongside returning stars Yaya Touré, Wes Brown, Katie Chapman, Robbie Keane, Olly Murs, Kem Cetinay, Marvin Humes and Joe Wicks. More names will be announced in due course.

An all-star England team will take on the Soccer Aid World XI FC with both teams featuring household names from the worlds of sport and entertainment. This year’s teams of celebrities and former professional footballers will ‘Play for Generation Covid’, to help stop the spread of coronavirus and limit the impact on children’s lives.