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<p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script><ul><li>Lasted just 83 days in charge at Birmingham</li><li>Took a risk by linking up with the Pilgrims</li><li>Wanted to succeed but results didn't come</li></ul><table><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va2ivxLJJhzdzbJdwo0n"><strong>Follow GOAL on WhatsApp!</strong></a> 🟢📱</td></tr></tbody></table>

Was Wayne Rooney appointed for ‘profile reasons’? Why Man Utd legend got Plymouth job explained – with ex-England captain lasting just 25 games in latest coaching flop

Championship

Plymouth

Coventry

<p>The Manchester United legend was a shock addition at Home Park during the summer of 2024. Rooney agreed to head to Devon, <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/wayne-rooney-boozy-nights-takeaways-without-wife-coleen-man-utd-legend-putting-on-weight-stuck-into-pasties-plymouth-boss/blt44c73473c013bd38" target="_blank">moving away from wife Coleen and their four children in the process</a>, as he sought to rebuild his coaching reputation.</p>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>After delivering mixed results at Derby and D.C. United, Rooney lasted only 83 days in charge of Birmingham – after seeing <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/what-they-should-want-did-tom-brady-birmingham-learn-wayne-rooney-lesson-another-managerial-name-sought-american-owners/blt179185301598e137" target="_blank">NFL icon Tom Brady and the Blues’ board take a calculated gamble on his services</a>. Those struggles did not put Plymouth off.</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Another ill-fated <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/revealed-how-wayne-rooney-reacted-dark-side-football-plymouth-sacking-man-utd-legend-tipped-top-manager-horrible-time/blt33b949a2ff8bb0b3" target="_blank">tenure was brought to a close before the turn of the calendar year</a>, but Parkinson maintains that Rooney was never part of a PR campaign. He has told the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQcnhWkVgNA " target="_blank"><em>Business of Sport</em></a>: “To be honest, he was the best candidate that we saw when we got down to the interviews. The biggest thing for him is he really wanted it.</p><p>“Now, there are obviously lots of other things that play into that. We went down from a long list of, say, 30. The process isn't a straightforward one necessarily. People might already be at existing clubs. They may not want to come. They may have contracts where it would be expensive to get them out of it. It's sometimes more difficult to get people to come down to Plymouth, let's face it.</p><p>“So when we got down to our final candidates, he absolutely wanted to prove himself, wanted to show that he could do the job. Obviously he'd had a couple of difficult experiences at other cubs, but we felt at the time that he was the best candidate. We didn't do it for profile reasons at all.”</p>

WHAT PLYMOUTH CEO SAID

<p>Rooney severed ties with the Pilgrims after seeing them sink to the foot of the Championship table. The ex-England captain has <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/managerial-flop-wayne-rooney-most-sought-after-property-man-utd-legend-coaching-break-birmingham-plymouth-nightmares/blt2719d22489165348" target="_blank">returned to punditry duty</a> amid another enforced break from the dugout, with no decision made as yet regarding a <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/drop-down-league-two-wayne-rooney-coaching-return-prediction-man-utd-legend-told-how-prove-himself/bltee14b06776bc23b7" target="_blank">long-term future in the managerial game</a>.</p>

WHAT NEXT FOR WAYNE ROONEY?

Was Wayne Rooney appointed for ‘profile reasons’? Why Man Utd legend got Plymouth job explained – with ex-England captain lasting just 25 games in latest coaching flop | Goal.com

Plymouth CEO Andrew Parkinson has explained why the club appointed Wayne Rooney as manager, before seeing him take in just 25 games at the helm.

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