Waxwork of famous British sportsman in Polish museum leaves people baffled with visitors saying it looks like former USSR leader Gorbachev – so can you tell who it’s supposed to be?

A waxwork of a famous British sportsman on display in a museum in Poland has left fans on social media baffled.   

The eerie wax figure on display at the Tower of Secrets Wax Museum in Gdansk, Poland has been compared to former President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev.   

But it in fact England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney.

A snap of the waxwork has sparked a wave of humorous reactions online.

Taking to Reddit, one bemused fan, u/No-Philosopher5239, posted a photo of the waxwork on the subreddit r/CasualUK on August 4. 

The figure, featuring Rooney in a red Adidas windbreaker, showcases a much thinner frame, balding wisps of hair, patchy facial stubble, and pasty skin, causing many to question its likeness to the famed footballer. 

A waxwork of Wayne Rooney displayed in a museum in Poland has left fans on social media in stitches and baffled by its uncanny appearance

The photo shows a rather weary-looking sculpture of Rooney sporting a red Adidas windbreaker and a much thinner frame – complete with balding wisps of hair, pasty skin, and patchy facial stubble. 

More than 1,000 responses have since poured in from Brits, with many drawing parallels to characters from popular culture, including puppets from the TV show Thunderbirds, as well as hybrid species from cult sci-fi franchise Star Trek. 

One person wrote, ‘Starfleet, but run by Birmingham City Council,’ while another suggested, ‘More like Neelix from Voyager.’

A third said, ‘Looks like a team America puppet,’ as another joked, ‘Looks like a puppet from “Thunderbirds.”‘

Some fans even suggested that the waxwork seemed like an older version of Rooney from an ‘alternate timeline.’

One wrote, ‘Looks like the old g** who starts fights outside the pub,’ while another said, ‘It’s like an alternate timeline, in which Wayne suffers a career-ending injury very early on and spends the next 40 years down the men’s club. Smoking a lot.’ 

A third joked: ‘Pretty sure I served this man a sausage, bean & cheese melt at Greggs today.’ 

One particularly notable comparison came from a fan who likened the sculpture to former President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, writing: ‘Looks more like Gorbachev.’ 

People said the waxwork looked more like late USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev (left) than Wayne Rooney (right)

Meanwhile, two terrified fans commented on the sculpture’s sinister appearance, with one writing, ‘Wow, that is incredibly awful,’ as another said, ‘I don’t know about you but wax figures are scary.’ 

It comes after a Dublin museum recently promised to ‘do better’ and vowed to create a more accurate waxwork of the late singer, Sinéad O’Connor. 

Her sculpture, which was unveiled on July 26 to commemorate the one year anniversary of her death, was slammed by fans, with many comparing the model of the iconic singer to a Thunderbird.

‘In response to the public’s feedback regarding the wax figure, we acknowledge that the current representation did not meet our high standards or the expectations of Sinéad’s devoted fans,’ a spokesperson for the National Wax Museum in Dublin said.

‘With this in mind, we are committed to creating a new wax figure that better reflects Sinéad O’Connor’s true spirit and iconic image,’ they revealed.