Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney linked with shocking return to management
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney is reportedly being considered for the managerial role at Championship side Blackburn Rovers.
That’s according to The Sun, who broke the news of Rovers’ interest in Rooney on Tuesday afternoon.
A youth product of Everton, Rooney moved to United in 2004 for what was a head-turning sum of £27million at the time, making him the most expensive teenager in world football.
Across 13 years at United, he became the club’s all-time record scorer, and helped the club to secure five Premier League titles, an FA Cup, four League Cups, the Europa League and, most notably, the Champions League in 2008.
Rooney, who made over 550 appearances and scored 253 goals for Man Utd, has struggled to make an impact in management since swapping DC United for Derby County in 2022.
Despite cutting his teeth in the United States by leading a young squad of DC players to improved performances, his time in MLS is not fondly remembered by fans after failing to lead the club to the play-offs.
Since a positive start to life at Pride Park, in which he took Derby from six points adrift of safety to eight points clear of the relegation zone, the Evertonian has struggled to post a managerial win percentage above 25%.
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His second season in charge of County saw the club deducted 21 points for financial wrongdoings before being relegated to League One. He then stepped down, announcing the club needed “fresh energy” and someone “not affected by the events.”
Rooney’s next move saw him take over at Plymouth Argyle in 2024. However, his time at the helm of the Championship side came to a premature end in December after just a few months due to a series of disappointing results.
His record of 45 wins in 178 matches makes for pretty grim reading, though it’s fair to say all of his appointments have been particularly tough first-time jobs, with high expectations and low budgets exacerbating his struggles.
Now, with Blackburn struggling under Valerien Ismael, who has struggled to get consistent results since his appointment in February, Rooney is once again being linked with a managerial job.
The Rovers boss has enjoyed just one win in eight matches but has received public backing from the club, who have moved to reassure fans that his appointment is with a long-term view to stability and success.
It remains to be seen if there’s any substance to the bizarre link.
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