Wayne Rooney open to surprising route back into management as Man Utd legend waits on ‘right club’ after 83-day & 25-game coaching disasters at Birmingham & Plymouth

Ex-England captain Rooney has found the going tough across four spells in the dugout so far. He suffered relegation out of the Championship at Derby, failed to lead D.C. United into the MLS play-offs, lasted just 83 days alongside Tom Brady at Birmingham and spent only 25 games in charge of Plymouth before being axed.

Rooney is not about to give up, though, and has told the Stick to Football podcast brought to you by Sky Bet when asked about taking on another job: “I would like to go back in, but it would have to be the right club. You always have that ego and that confidence that you can go in and get the best out of a difficult situation. 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] – I loved it.

“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. 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.”

Rooney added on his forgettable stint at Plymouth, which saw him relocate to Devon a long way from the family home that he shares with wife Coleen and their four sons: “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.”

Manchester United have been urged to consider bringing Rooney back to Old Trafford as a striker coach, as the Red Devils struggle for consistency, and the 39-year-old is ruling nothing out. He said of stepping away from frontline management: “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.”

For now, Rooney says he will make the most of an opportunity to spend some quality time with his family. He is also expected to get back into punditry before agreeing any return to the touchline.