'Wayne literally knocked down walls' - Plymouth owner heaps praise on 'wonderful' Rooney for 'saving the club from fraying' despite Man Utd legend's dismal record of four Championship wins in seven months

Hallett discussed in an interview with The Athletic the kind of things that Rooney achieved in his short coaching spell at Plymouth, which included knitting people together at the training ground by "literally knocking down walls" to create open working spaces.

Overall, Rooney's time at Plymouth will be remembered as the latest short-lived stop on his fledgling managerial career. In August, he was named permanent successor to Ian Foster, who had similarly struggled after replacing the very successful Steven Schumacher. Plymouth lost 4-0 against Sheffield Wednesday in Rooney's first game in charge and had only won four league games by the time he left on New Year's Eve, officially by mutual consent, sitting bottom of the Championship. And yet, Hallett remembers those seven months more fondly than results alone would suggest.

"Wayne literally knocked down walls," Hallett revealed. "He had walls between various people in the football department removed (at the club’s offices), so they sat together. He was wonderful around the club. He was very good with fans, to the point where we had to restrain him. I remember we were having a meeting with somebody and one of their staff said, 'My sister runs a local primary school, can you visit?'. And Wayne said, 'Sure'. But we had to say, 'Wait a minute, he is very busy!' I know it sounds silly because he's such a big celebrity and he's famous for some bad decisions, but he's a very decent human being. The impact he had saved the club from fraying."

Although Rooney seemed a great fit for Plymouth in many ways, Hallett admitted that the split was ultimately down to the former England and Manchester United captain insisting on a very specific style of play. Hallett added: "He was committed to a way of playing football we were simply unable to execute."

Even after difficult spells at Derby County, Birmigham City and now Plymouth, Rooney hasn't given up on carving out a management career, solely fuelled by his love of the game after his own playing career ensured he is financially set for life. "I would like to go back in, but it would have to be the right club," he confirmed last month on former United team-mate Gary Neville's Stick to Football podcast.