Wayne Rooney is poised to be officially announced as the head coach of Championship side Plymouth Argyle on Saturday following discussions regarding the vacant position.
At 38 years old, Rooney is eager to rebuild his coaching reputation after a challenging stint at Birmingham last season, where he suffered nine losses out of 15 matches.
Plymouth Argyle has been in search of a new manager since the departure of Ian Foster towards the end of the previous season. Director of football Neil Dewsnip and coach Kevin Nancekivell assumed interim roles for the remainder of the campaign, successfully steering Plymouth to safety, ironically at the expense of Birmingham.
Dewsnip’s familiarity with Rooney from their time together at Everton‘s academy likely played a role in the decision-making process.
Rooney boasts an extensive playing career, amassing 763 appearances for clubs such as Everton, Manchester United, MLS side DC United, and Derby County.
Transitioning into coaching, Rooney took on a player-coach role at Derby in November 2020, eventually assuming the permanent managerial position. However, he announced his retirement just two months later.
During his tenure at Derby, Rooney oversaw 85 matches before returning to the United States to manage his former club, DC United. Subsequently, he took the helm at Birmingham in October 2023 but was dismissed less than three months later.