Studying clips of his first season as a BBC pundit, Wayne Rooney could not shake a feeling of dissatisfaction. It was not so much the internet trolls, although some were unsparing in their jibes about his contributions and appearance, as it was his internal drive to be better.So harnessing the competitiveness and work rate which complemented a generational talent, the former striker went back to the drawing board with gritty determination.As he had done in his playing career, when he learned from mentors such as David Moyes and Sir Alex Ferguson, Rooney sought experienced TV executives and absorbed their feedback.Then, padel racket in hand, he committed to a healthier lifestyle. He even started to sharpen his wardrobe.The results could be seen in Rooney’s appearances as a pundit for the BBC at the World Cup. Not only did his apparent “glow-up” attract a lot of attention, but his punditry also earned praise, as his plain-speaking and sense of humour connected with viewers.The 40-year-old’s blunt assessment of the half-time show — “I like a lot of them artists, but I thought it was crap” — during the BBC’s World Cup final coverage went viral.The Athletic spoke to those close to Rooney — who did so anonymously to protect relationships — about his transformation from faltering broadcaster to one of the bright points of the national broadcaster’s coverage.Rooney made things on the pitch look easy.His rare combination of ability, strength and vision powered him from precocious teenager to a trophy-laden club career and becoming one of England’s most capped outfield players.Sometimes, like when he famously bickered with the referee in a 2005 Premier League game against Newcastle, before interrupting his rant to burst forward and score from 25 yards, it felt like the extraordinary was almost an afterthought.Punditry, though, was another challenge altogether. Rooney’s initial forays into life before the cameras offering his thoughts and analysis revealed more human failings: nerves, diffidence and an occasional failure to parse his undoubted experience into insight.Then there was his appearance. His fluctuating weight, ruddy cheeks and occasionally ill-fitting attire — commenters on social media rarely needed an excuse to zero in on him.Last summer, he joined the BBC’s Match of the Day team alongside seasoned players-turned-pundits Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Joe Hart and Danny Murphy.Wayne Rooney joined BBC’s Match of the Day team last summer (BBC)It was a steep learning curve.“Getting a season of MOTD under his belt definitely made him a better pundit,” says one person close to the former Manchester United and Everton star. “The traditional format on Saturday is challenging. It’s hard for newcomers.“You usually only get a short amount of time to try to be erudite and insightful on a fast-moving, wide array of topics. Sometimes it’s obscure VAR decisions or technical rule discussions that you need to quickly work your head around.“It’s tougher than Sky Super Sunday or Monday Night Football, when you have a bit longer.”Rooney was open to advice from Shearer and others, but leaned in especially to appraisal and tips from experienced producers.“He spends far more time in rehearsals than he does doing the live programme,” said the friend. “It’s a team effort and he made it his mission to really listen to producers and directors’ feedback. He was studious in asking for advice from those TV pros and took notes.“It was a bit like in his playing days when he’d take coaching on board. He used the same strategy. Then the World Cup format gave him a bit more time and space and he was comfortable in that after the baptism of fire during the season.”He developed chemistry with his fellow pundits and, in one memorable moment, he said he would row down the Mersey if Norway beat Brazil in their last-16 tie. He made good on the spirit of the promise by rowing on the Hudson in New York, alongside fellow pundits Richards and Hart.Joe Hart, Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards prepare to row on the Hudson River (BBC)If he seemed more confident and relaxed, it was also because Rooney felt more content in his own skin after a self-imposed fitness regime.“Wayne didn’t hire a personal trainer or a nutritionist,” says a member of his circle. “He’s done it himself after building up his own motivation. He watched himself on TV during the season and realised he wasn’t that happy with how he looked, so decided to lose weight.“It was helped along by encouraging comments from his friends and family as it started to work.”The former Plymouth Argyle and Birmingham City manager started playing padel more frequently, adding extra calorie-burning games to his schedule, and returned to the boxing training he frequently enjoyed in the past. At the same time, he focused on eating healthier and better quality food.“He wants to feel good about himself; he did something about it on his own and it’s about maintaining it now,” says the friend.“I think what people are responding to isn’t one change but a combination of them,” says menswear stylist and image consultant Phill Tarling. “Yes, there’s improved grooming, there’s better fitting and tasteful clothes, and they all have their own impact on confidence — even posture.“There’s no hiding from the fact he had put on weight, then put himself in the firing line by going in front of the camera, which is an incredibly judgy place to be.“Wayne is presenting a more polished, confident version of himself. In clothes like his neutral linen suit and brown T-shirt, he is proving that on camera you can’t just wear whatever you wear in everyday life; you’ve got to dress for the room you are in.”Another talking point in Rooney’s relaxed punditry was his confession of admiration for USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino’s wardrobe. Presenter Gabby Logan gently teased him for copying the Argentine’s outfit on set, and Rooney laughed along.“I love the fact he had the confidence to see a manager wearing an outfit and liked it that much that he went and bought it,” says Tarling, who has 30 years’ experience since starting his own career in the BBC wardrobe department before consulting business leaders and TV stars. “Then he just owned it when everyone was joking.”Being relaxed allowed Rooney, who Tarling feels is perhaps rather shy by nature, to show his personality more.Rooney cut a more relaxed and confident figure in his pundit role this summer (BBC)“He was happier to push boundaries while staying on the right side of things,” says the friend. “The half-time show ‘crap’ thing wasn’t scripted; that was him being himself.“He likes to show his down-to-earth side. There’s also a recognition that talking about England, for him, is a different type of skill to talking about something like Manchester United.“An England game is watched by everyone; it’s not about club colours, and as he was only recently overtaken by Harry Kane for the most caps of any England outfield player, Wayne is very well equipped to say what it means to play for your country.“You could see how disappointed he was after the Argentina game, and fans relate to that, while at the same time he made some really uncompromising points.”He is not perfect. Rooney kicked himself when he mispronounced the name of Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal.“Wayne knows he isn’t the finished article yet,” the friend adds. “But he’s improving and wants to continue getting better with a good start to the season now on BBC.“When Gary Lineker left the Beeb, you watched the montage of his appearances and how stiff he was at first compared to the consummate broadcaster he became and realise it takes time.”His efforts have certainly delighted the BBC hierarchy. “It’s been great to see Wayne thriving with us in the last year,” says Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport. “He is one of the brightest pundits around, spots things many others miss, his reading of the game is top-class, and his opinions carry weight and set the agenda. “And as we all saw during the World Cup, he’s got a great sense of humour and won’t back down on a promise. We are so proud to have him working with us again this season.”For Tarling, Rooney’s metamorphosis will continue to win over audiences.“Our clothes are also data, information that people take in to assess us in 0.3 seconds,” he says. “Now Wayne’s going for understated colours and a cohesive overall look, with his beard trimmed down and a slim, trim figure; it reinforces his credibility. His opinion will be better received, and people will unconsciously be giving his appearance green flags and listening without any distraction.“It looks like he cares about the details, and the details matter.”