[themaclad]

Championship side Plymouth Argyle have appointed former England captain Wayne Rooney as their new head coach.

The 38-year-old succeeds Ian Foster, who was sacked on 1 April after a poor run of results.

It is Rooney's first role since he was sacked by Birmingham City on 2 January after a disappointing reign of less than three months in which he lost nine of 15 games.

Blues, who were in the Championship play-off places when Rooney took over, were relegated to League One earlier this month.

The Pilgrims job is a fourth head coach role for Rooney - who was England's top scorer with 53 goals until his mark was beaten by Harry Kane in March 2023.

He was Derby County boss during a period of financial difficulties.

Rooney guided the Rams to Championship survival in May 2021 in his first season in charge, but left a year later following the club's relegation after Derby had been docked a total of 21 points for their financial problems.

He spent 15 months as boss of DC United in the United States, but left last October to take on the Birmingham job, having failed to guide the Washington-based side to the Major League Soccer (MLS) play-offs.

First-team coaches Kevin Nancekivell and Simon Ireland, and goalkeeping coach Darryl Flahavan will form part of Rooney’s backroom staff, with further additions to be made in due course.

'The perfect next step in my career'
Wayne Rooney working as a pundit
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
Wayne Rooney has been working as a pundit since leaving Birmingham City and will work for the BBC at Euro 2024

Rooney has already had experience of Home Park and the club's 'Green Army' fanbase during a 3-3 draw with Birmingham in December - the Pilgrims' first game after former boss Steven Schumacher's departure for Stoke City.

"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.

"This is an opportunity to be part of an exciting project. I look forward to helping to build a squad of players to play expansive football – and to entertain the Green Army.

"I have experienced first-hand how talented the existing group of players is here – and also the incredible atmosphere at Home Park.

"The club is on an exciting long-term journey, with a progressive plan in place. I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of it."

Argyle chairman Simon Hallett said Rooney approached the club when they began the process of recruiting their next head coach having ensured survival on the final day of the season.

"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," added Hallett.

"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.

"His ambitions and aims match ours perfectly and we feel he is the perfect candidate to provide the exciting and attacking brand of football that we all like to see and help us achieve the club's mission."

Is Plymouth the place for Rooney to show his managerial talents?
Neil Dewsnip hugs Waune Rooney
IMAGE SOURCE,REX FEATURES
Image caption,
Argyle director of football Neil Dewsnip coached Wayne Rooney as a youngster at Everton

Rooney's managerial career has so far failed to follow the trajectory of his playing days, which saw him burst on the scene as a teenager at Everton before going on to become Manchester United's record goalscorer and England captain.

But could Plymouth be the perfect place for him to finally show his talents?

While Argyle are financially far from some of the big-budget ex-Premier League sides in the Championship, they have an owner in Simon Hallett who is ambitious and has a plan for a sustainable club.

The Pilgrims have shown great skill in bringing in young players and developing their talents - the likes of Morgan Whittaker and Finn Azaz thrived at Home Park this season.

He will also be at a club that can sign players - Derby's financial situation was such that Rooney had one hand tied behind his back in terms of transfers, while he left Birmingham before he was able to operate in the January transfer window.

Argyle twice spent a club-record £1m on players last summer in Whittaker and fellow former loanee Bali Mumba, and the club will likely have similar funds to spend this close season.

And while the wages will not be fortunes, the chance to work with someone of Rooney's reputation might be enough to lure players to Home Park that Argyle might not have previously been able to sign.

Rooney appointment a 'roll of the dice' for Pilgrims
Analysis - Brent Pilnick, BBC Sport, Plymouth

Rooney's appointment is one of the most famous days in Plymouth's long history - never before has such a high-profile figure in the game been associated with the club.

But it represents a real roll of the dice for the Pilgrims. While his pedigree as a player is undoubted, as a manager he has yet to hit the same heights that saw him win five Premier League titles, the Champions League and 120 England caps.

Argyle will hope they can get the Rooney that drew plaudits for his work keeping up a dysfunctional Derby, rather than the short time spent at St Andrew's this season.

The appointment is also a big call for Argyle's director of football Neil Dewsnip, who has appointed a second successive head coach from his file of personal contacts.

Dewsnip worked with a young Rooney while he was part of Everton's academy set-up, having previously worked with Ian Foster when the pair were at the Football Association.

Foster's appointment was almost disastrous for the club. It lasted less than three months and saw Argyle only stave off relegation on the final day of the season - at the expense of Birmingham, whose travails began under Rooney.

[St Charles Owl]

What a bizarre appointment!!

[themaclad]

Now over

[themaclad]

Head coach Wayne Rooney has left Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle by mutual agreement.

The 39-year-old former England captain oversaw just four league wins and suffered 13 defeats in 23 Championship games after taking charge of the Pilgrims in May.

He leaves with them at the foot of the division.

Rooney came to Home Park four months after being sacked by Birmingham City following an 83-day spell in charge that brought nine defeats in 15 games.

He and his players were booed following Sunday's 2-0 defeat by Oxford United - their sixth defeat in a nine-game winless run that began in early November.

Rooney defiantly said he did not take criticism "personally" after that loss, but it was enough to end the tenure of the man who was lauded as "the perfect candidate to provide the exciting and attacking brand of football" when appointed.

Under Rooney - who set scoring records for England and Manchester United during his decorated playing career - Plymouth have dropped to the bottom of the table, scored the joint fewest goals in the second tier and have conceded more than any other club in England's top four divisions.

Assistant head coach Mike Phelan and first-team coach Simon Ireland have also departed Home Park.

First-team coach Kevin Nancekivell and club captain Joe Edwards will lead the side for Wednesday's home game against Bristol City.

'Argyle will always hold a special place in my heart'
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the board of Plymouth Argyle Football Club," Rooney said upon his departure., external

"Thanks also to all the staff who made me feel welcome and who make the club such a special place, the players and fans for their efforts and support during my time as head coach and I wish them all the best for the future.

"To the Green Army thanks for making the games at Home Park so special, they are memories that we will share forever.

"I would also like to give a special mention to my coaching staff Kevin Nancekivell, Simon Ireland, Darryl Flahavan and Mike Phelan for their knowledge, dedication, help and support.

"Plymouth Argyle will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will continue to look out for and take interest in their results."

'Fan base was divided'
Analysis - BBC Sport's Plymouth Argyle reporter, Brent Pilnick

Wayne Rooney's time at Argyle has proved, like his spell at Birmingham City, to be unsuccessful.

The Home Park hierarchy were quick to say that he had been impressive when interviewing for the job and that the appointment was not a publicity stunt.

But the fan base was divided when he was appointed in May, with many saying his record was not good enough, while others welcomed a chance for a club like Argyle to have such a high profile man in charge.

With that high profile has come high scrutiny, and as the losses mounted up so did the pressure on the club - arguably more so than had they had a less well-recognised name.

His time at Home Park has not been without its problems - particularly with injuries in attack.

Striker Muhamed Tijani was brought in from Slavia Prague but has played just three times due to injury while exciting winger Ibrahim Cissoko has missed large chunks of the season as well.

Experienced Argyle hands such as Morgan Whittaker and Joe Edwards have also been out with injury as Argyle have looked, especially away from home, directionless at times.

Just four wins at home and a string of awful away performances have left Argyle with little choice but to change direction in the hope of staying up.

What the future holds for Rooney is less certain. He was received well as a pundit during last summer's Euros, but after failing at Birmingham City and now Plymouth Argyle it would be a brave board that would appoint him to a management role any time soon.

Argyle must now look for a third permanent manager in just over a year, and whoever it is has a huge task in trying to keep the Pilgrims in the second tier.

Ninth Championship manager sacking of the season
Plymouth fans chanted "We want Rooney out" from the stands of the Kassam Stadium on Sunday and less than 48 hours later those supporters have got their wish.

Defeat at Oxford United saw their winless run stretch to nine games.

The two goals they conceded also meant they became the first Championship team to let in 50 goals in their first 23 matches of a season since Rotherham in 2016-17. The Millers finished bottom that year.

In the Championship this season, Plymouth have faced the most shots, the most shots on target, have the highest xG against total and have conceded the most goals.

They comfortably have the worst goal difference in the division with minus 29. That equates to 51 conceded and just 22 scored.

The Pilgrims are the ninth Championship side to change their manager this season.

Plymouth may be bottom of the table with 18 points, but they are far from cut adrift, just four points from Hull City in 21st.