Wayne Rooney has had a rocky start to life as a manager. After a turbulent time at Derby County, he made a surprise move to D.C. United but has now left the MLS club after one season in charge.
Rooney’s departure was announced just after he guided the franchise to a 2-0 win over New York City in their final regular season game. They are set to miss out on the MLS Playoffs and both parties have agreed to move on, it has been announced.
It means Rooney is now back on the market for a new job. He’s made no secret of his desire to return to England, where he would be reunited with his family, and has also publicly outlined his dream to one day manage Manchester United.
In February 2022, shortly before leaving Derby County, Rooney was asked by Sky Sports if he would jump at the chance to manage United one day.
“Of course I would,” he replied. “At the minute obviously my focus is on Derby County and staying up [in the Championship], but Manchester United and Everton are the two clubs that are very close to me.
“Hopefully one day in the future I can manage one of those two clubs. It’d be a great achievement for me.”
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He doubled down on his ambitions to make it as a manager at an elite club when he was managing the MLS All-Stars in the summer. He claimed his work at D.C. United was helping him on his way to that end goal.
“My aspiration is to manage at an elite European club someday, and in those environments, you’re working with very diverse teams, with elite professionals from all over the world. I’ve found I could actually get that experience here, which helps me a lot.
“At DC United, for example, we’ve got players from more than a dozen nations, representing different cultures, religions, and backgrounds. So there’s different challenges and lessons to be gained from that, and working with the All-Stars, the very best MLS has to offer, adds to that immensely.”
After leaving America, attention will now turn to what comes next and he insists he is currently unsure what the future holds.
Rooney said after his final game: “It’s the right time. I’ve done everything I can to get this club into the playoffs. It’s not a single thing that’s happened. It’s about timing.
“What lies ahead, I don’t know. I’ve seen a lot of reports in the media. I’m going back with nothing lined up.
“I want to say on record to everyone involved in the club. Staff, players: I’m grateful.”
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