A great player is not necessarily a great player. Wayne Rooney is one proof of this.
As a player, the former Manchester United and England striker is undoubtedly great. He is even considered one of the best players of his generation.
With Manchester United, Rooney scored 253 goals in 559 matches. With the England national team, the former Everton, DC United, and Derby County player scored 53 goals in 120 international matches.
However, Rooney’s greatness as a player was not/has not been seen when he switched professions to become a coach.
Rooney, who is currently managing Plymouth in the English second division, even just suffered a bitter result in his first official match with them. Rooney’s team lost four goals to nil.
Wayne Rooney’s Coaching Career
- 2020 – 2022 Derby County
- 2022 – 2023 DC United
- 2023 – 2024 Birmingham City
- 2024 – Plymouth Argyle
Before managing Plymouth, Rooney coached Birmingham. In 15 matches in the Championship in the 2023/2024 season, from week 12 to week 26, Birmingham under Rooney’s concoction only won twice.
The rest were four draws and nine losses (W2 D4 L9). In those 15 matches, Birmingham scored 15 goals and conceded 30 goals.
After only winning twice in 15 matches, with Birmingham stranded in 20th place, Rooney was sacked.
After sacking Rooney, Birmingham remained unsaved. Birmingham ended the season relegated to the third division for the first time since 1995.
Birmingham fans and the media blamed Rooney for the club’s relegation.
On May 25, 2024, Rooney got a new job. He was trusted by the second division club, Plymouth, to become a coach with a three-year contract.
In the 2024/2025 pre-season, Plymouth achieved satisfactory results. Plymouth drew 2-2 with Orlandi Pirates, won 5-1 over Cheltenham Town, won 2-0 over Torquay United, and won 1-0 over Milton Keynes Dons.
However, in his first official match, against hosts Sheffield Wednesday in the first week of the 2024/2025 Championship, Rooney had to see Plymouth suffer a crushing defeat. Plymouth lost 0-4.
Once again, a great player is not necessarily a great player. Wayne Rooney is one of the proofs.
