WAYNE ROONEY left Gary Neville absolutely gobsmacked by revealing his intention to return to management.
Wazza was given his marching orders by Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle last December after just seven months in charge.
The sacking was Rooney’s SECOND of 2024, a year which started off with Birmingham City handing him his P45.
Wayne Rooney was sacked by Plymouth Argyle last December following a disastrous run[/caption]
The 39-year-old was given his marching orders by Birmingham City 11 months earlier[/caption]
Wazza stunned former team-mate Gary Neville by revealing he still wants to manage[/caption]
But the Manchester United legend isn’t giving up hope of becoming a successful manager, saying during the latest episode of the Stick to Football Podcast: “I would like to go back in.”
Rooney’s admission stunned former team-mate Neville, who proceeded to ask him: “Are you alright?”
“No I would do,” Rooney continued. “But it’d have to be the right club. Certainly the right club.”
Wazza, however, is in no rush to return to the dugout.
England‘s former all-time leading goalscorer said: “I’m not in a massive rush to go back in.
“There are different things that I’m looking at to try and get involved with as well.
“Unless something was absolutely the right thing to do, [then I’m not rushing back in].”
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS
Wayne Rooney’s record-breaking career
WAYNE Rooney took the football world by storm when he made his debut for 2002 with Everton.
He quickly became the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer aged 16 years and 342 days and was named the BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year.
The striker joined Manchester United in 2004 and spent 13 years at Old Trafford. He went on to make 559 appearances for the Red Devils and scored 253 goals. To this day he is still the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Following his spell with United, Rooney returned to Everton for a season. He also spent one-season stints with D.C. United and Derby County at the end of his career.
As well as his impressive club career, Rooney is also England’s second-highest goalscorer with 53 goals in 120 appearances, behind only Harry Kane.
After hanging up his boots, the England icon turned to a career in management.
He took charge of Derby County in 2020 and managed to just about save the club from relegation from the Championship at the end of his first season.
However, with Derby handed a 21-point deduction the following campaign, he was unable to keep them up again and subsequently left.
Then came a 15-month spell in charge of MLS side D.C. United. He failed to impress during his time in Washington and parted ways with the club at the end of the 2023 regular season.
Rooney was controversially handed the Birmingham job in October 2023, replacing John Eustace with the club doing well and sixth in the Championship table.
However, in 15 games he suffered nine defeats and managed just two wins. He was sacked in January 2024 with Birmingham down in 20th. The club were relegated to League One at the end of the campaign.
He returned to management in May with Plymouth Argyle but managed just five wins in 25 games. The United legend now finds himself out of work once again.
Rooney, 39, is well aware that his recent track record will likely put clubs off giving him a job.
So much so he’s willing to DROP DOWN to Under-21 level to further cut his teeth and prove himself worthy.
He said: “I’d have no problem dropping to an Under-21 team or going in there as a coach.
“I’m still young enough to learn and devlop.
“I’m not naive enough to think [I’ll go straight into another job]. I know how the game works.”
Despite the current bleak nature of his managerial prospects, Rooney has no regrets about his forays into the dugout.
He said: “I’ve had some great experiences. Good ones, bad ones. So I think you’ve always got that to fall back on.
“Whatever happens in the future, you’ve always got that to fall back on.
“But I’m defiinitely looking, as well, to try and expand and do different things and enjoy my kids more, enjoy my family more and enjoying doing stuff with them.
“Certainly while I’ve got this time off.”
