Old Trafford legend Wayne Rooney is a big fan of Erik ten Hag and even sees similarities between the Manchester United manager and Sir Alex Ferguson, according to reports.
The former England captain is in charge at Major League Soccer club DC United and has been putting the American off-season to good use. Rooney, 37, is back in the United Kingdom and making regular trips to United's Carrington training ground.
He spent 13 years on the club's books as a player, scoring a record 253 goals across all competitions and winning a remarkable 11 major honours. Since embarking on his managerial career in 2020, Rooney has begun to dream of occupying the Red Devils hot seat in the future and has been having conversations with highly-regarded ex- Ajax boss Ten Hag.
That is according to The Sun, which claims the former forward has even been visiting United's headquarters wearing a club tracksuit to watch sons Kai, 12, and Klay, nine, train with the academy. The report adds Rooney has been hugely taken by Ten Hag after speaking with the 52-year-old and his coaching staff.
"Wayne has met Erik and really likes him," a source said. "He sees some of Sir Alex in the new manager. He's very single-minded, focused and determined, and has a vision for where he wants to take the club.
"They both picked each other's brains and Wayne, naturally, is keen to have the chance to soak up as much knowledge from more experienced managers. Erik was more than happy to share some advice and support. Wayne is still learning his craft but, one day, he'd love to be in Erik's position and manage United. That would be his dream job and he will work flat out to get there."
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Rooney, who was previously Derby County boss, has made no secret of his desire to manage United in the future. In March, he told The Sun : "The whole reason in me going into management is Manchester United. I got offered the job interview for the Everton job [in January].
"I want to be Manchester United manager. I know I am not ready now but I have to plan everything I do to make sure one day it will happen."
Rooney resigned as Derby manager after the Rams were relegated from the Championship to League One at the end of last season, with the club still in administration after numerous takeover bids fell through. He was appointed DC United boss in July and led them to a 14th-place finish in the Eastern Conference in his debut campaign across the pond.
