Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney's time in management has been eventful so far. However, this has not dettered him as he is now trying to make a name for himself out in the United States with MLS side DC United.
Starting his managerial career with Derby, Rooney took up the role of player-manager before becoming a full-time had coach. Despite a 21-point deduction and transfer embargo all-but consigning Derby to relegation from the Championship before a ball was kicked, Rooney inspired his players to fight bravely against what seemed like a foregone conclusion and in the end they were only seven points from safety.
However, as the 2021/22 season ended and relegation was confirmed, Rooney made the decision to leave Derby. His performances with the club had seen his stock rise and many expected him to get a higher profile job in the Championship or even the Premier League.
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So it came as a shock when Rooney announced that he would return to his former club DC United but this time as manager. The club were bottom of the table when he arrived and remain there even now after 33 games.
But Rooney has not lost hope and sees DC United as a long-term project. He told the media recently: “I’m rebuilding a club, rebuilding a squad and a big attraction is working with different nationalities, not just of players but staff.
“My ambition one day is to manage at the top and that (a multinational environment) is what you get at top clubs. I looked and thought it’s a great chance to experience it. It’s a chance to take myself out of my comfort zone and develop as a coach. Not enough managers take that risk and challenge themselves by going abroad."
Rooney will likely be hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow Premier League Hall of Famer Patrick Vieira, who spent some time early in his career manager New York City FC, before managing in France and eventually landing the job as Crystal Palace manager where he is thriving.
And you would expect that Rooney dreams of being in the top job at United at some point in the future.
Overall it's been a rocky beginning for Rooney out in the United States, but hopefully, in the long term, he will start to find his feet and use this as a platform to grow his managerial reputation even further. However, there is the risk that if he fails to improve DC United during his time at the club, then he could face a setback.
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