Plymouth Argyle, a Championship side, has appointed former England captain Wayne Rooney as their new head coach.
The 38-year-old takes over from Ian Foster, who was sacked on 1 April following a string of poor results.
Rooney’s appointment comes after his recent stint at Birmingham City, where he was dismissed on 2 January after a brief and disappointing tenure of less than three months, losing nine out of 15 games. Birmingham, previously in the Championship play-off places when Rooney assumed the role, was relegated to League One earlier this month.
This marks Rooney’s fourth head coach role, following his time as Derby County boss amidst the club’s financial struggles. He managed to secure Championship survival in May 2021 but left a year later after Derby’s relegation due to a points deduction for financial issues.
Rooney also spent 15 months as the boss of DC United in the United States but departed last October without achieving the MLS play-offs. His coaching staff at Plymouth will include first-team coaches Kevin Nancekivell and Simon Ireland, along with goalkeeping coach Darryl Flahavan, with more additions expected.
Rooney has already encountered Home Park and the club’s ‘Green Army’ fanbase during Plymouth’s 3-3 draw with Birmingham in December, the team’s first game following former boss Steven Schumacher’s departure for Stoke City.
“Taking this role at Plymouth Argyle feels like the perfect next step in my career – and I would like to thank the chairman and board for the faith they have shown in me,” Rooney said.
“This is an opportunity to be part of an exciting project. I look forward to helping to build a squad of players to play expansive football – and to entertain the Green Army.
“I have experienced first-hand how talented the existing group of players is here – and also the incredible atmosphere at Home Park.
“The club is on an exciting long-term journey, with a progressive plan in place. I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of it.”
Argyle chairman Simon Hallett said Rooney approached the club when they began the process of recruiting their next head coach having ensured survival on the final day of the season.
“Throughout the interview process, Wayne showed himself to be a passionate, intelligent, and knowledgeable candidate with an appetite to prove himself and develop his managerial career,” added Hallett.
“So much so, that he reached out to the board when we started this process and was attracted by the project at hand and showed a real plan on how to lead the football club forward.
“His ambitions and aims match ours perfectly and we feel he is the perfect candidate to provide the exciting and attacking brand of football that we all like to see and help us achieve the club’s mission.”