Championship side Plymouth Argyle have appointed former England captain Wayne Rooney as their new head coach.
The 38-year-old replaces Ian Foster, who was sacked on April 1 after a poor run of results.
This is Rooney’s first role since he was dismissed by Birmingham City on January 2, following a disappointing tenure of less than three months, during which he lost nine out of 15 games.
Under Rooney’s leadership, Birmingham City, who were in the Championship play-off positions when he took over, were relegated to League One earlier this month.
The Pilgrims’ job marks Rooney’s fourth head coaching position. Previously, he served as the manager of Derby County during a period of financial difficulties. Rooney was England’s top scorer with 53 goals until Harry Kane surpassed his record in March 2023.
Rooney led Derby County to Championship survival in May 2021 during his first season in charge, but departed a year later following the club’s relegation due to a 21-point deduction for financial issues.
He then spent 15 months as the head coach of DC United in the United States, leaving last October after failing to guide the Washington-based team to the Major League Soccer (MLS) play-offs, before taking the Birmingham job.
First-team coaches Kevin Nancekivell and Simon Ireland, along with goalkeeping coach Daryl Flahavan, will be part of Rooney’s backroom staff, with additional appointments to be made in the future.
✍️ We are delighted to announce the appointment of Wayne Rooney as our new Head Coach.
Welcome to Argyle, Wayne.#pafc
— Plymouth Argyle FC (@Argyle) May 25, 2024