Wayne Rooney appointed as head coach of Championship side Plymouth Argyle

Former Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney has been appointed manager of Plymouth Argyle, the second-tier Championship club said on Sunday.

Rooney replaces Ian Foster, who was sacked in April after just three months in the job. Argyle finished 21st in the Championship standings, avoiding relegation by one point.

“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,” Argyle chairman Simon Hallett said in a statement.

“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,” he added.

Rooney has previously managed Birmingham City, Derby County and Major League Soccer (MLS) side DC United.

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“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 in a statement.

Rooney was appointed Birmingham manager in October 2023 when the club was sixth in the table but was sacked in January after it had slid to 20th place.

Prior to his time at Birmingham, the 38-year-old stepped down as manager of DC United last year after it missed out on the MLS Cup playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

He also had a 17-month spell in charge of Derby County where his team collected 55 points, enough for survival, but was relegated to the third tier after points were deducted amid financial trouble.

As a player, Rooney scored 253 goals for United, and won five Premier League titles and the Champions League with the Old Trafford club. He also scored 53 goals for England’s national team.