Wayne Rooney has revealed he wants to return management despite being sacked by Plymouth last month.
Rooney, 39, departed Argyle on New Year’s Eve, with the club rock bottom of the Championship having picked up just four wins in 23 league games under the Man United legend.
That came after he was dismissed by Birmingham last year following an 83-day spell that brought nine defeats in 15 matches.
He previously managed Derby County and MLS side DC United and while he gained plaudits for his work with the Rams, Rooney has won just 45 of his 178 games as a manager at a ratio of 25.3 per cent.
Nevertheless, Rooney has been hampered by difficult situations across his various roles and speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, the 39-year-old opened up on his desire to return to the game.
‘I would like to go back in [to management],’ he said. ‘But it would have to be the right club.
Wayne Rooney has revealed he wants to return management despite his Plymouth sacking
Rooney left Argyle last month with the club bottom of the Championship after just four wins
Rooney has been spending time with his family and wife Coleen since his departure
‘I’m not in a massive rush to go back in. There’s different things that I’m looking at to try and get involved with… unless something was absolutely the right thing to do.
‘Every club I’ve been at, I’ve put myself in a really challenging situation. I’ve had some great experiences, good ones, bad ones (and) you’ve always got that to fall back on.
‘Sometimes you have got different ideas which you’re trying to put across to the players, and maybe there’s a bit of arrogance where you’re thinking, “This is the right way”. Having better players helps.
‘I’d have no problem dropping into an Under-21 team or going in as a coach… I’m still young enough to learn and develop. Just having a good group of players who were at a [good] level.’
This led to a shocked reaction from Gary Neville, who hilariously quipped: ‘Are you alright?’, to his former United team-mate.
Rooney went onto reflect on his time at Plymouth – where the former striker fully embedded himself in the city – and admitted he had no regrets despite the way things turned out.
‘It’s part of being a manager, regardless of [where you are], you’re fully in it. Whether you’re six, seven hours away or on your doorstep, you’re ingrained in the job, so it doesn’t matter where the location is.
‘I loved my time there, the fans were great. The staff were great. We just hit a bad run of form. I can’t fault [the players], they were trying and giving me everything.’
Rooney revealed he had even been skiing with Coleen and planned to enjoy his time away
Since Rooney exited Plymouth a month ago, there has been speculation surrounding what he will do next, but the 39-year-old said his focus is on prioritising his family for the time being after living 250 miles away from the family home in Cheshire for much of his time in the south west.
‘You always have that ego and that confidence that you can go in and get the best out of a difficult situation,’ he added.
‘It never happened that way, but I am going to enjoy time [away from management] with my family. I’ve been skiing with Coleen [Rooney] (and) I loved it.
‘I’m definitely looking to try and expand and do different things.
‘Enjoy my kids more, enjoy my family more, and enjoy doing stuff with them whilst I have this time off.’
Wayne Rooney was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
