Wayne Rooney appointed manager at Plymouth Argyle

Former Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney has been appointed manager of English Championship club Plymouth Argyle.

The 38-year-old Rooney replaces Ian Foster, who was sacked in April after just three months in the job. Argyle finished 21st in the second-tier standings, avoiding relegation by one point.

"Throughout the interview process, Wayne showed himself to be a passionate, intelligent, and knowledgeable candidate with an appetite to prove himself and develop his managerial career," Argyle chairman Simon Hallett said in a statement on Saturday.

"So much so that he reached out to the board when we started this process and was attracted by the project at hand and showed a real plan on how to lead the football club forward."

Rooney has previously managed Birmingham City, Derby County and Major League Soccer (MLS) side DC United without success.

"Taking this role at Plymouth Argyle feels like the perfect next step in my career - and I would like to thank the chairman and board for the faith they have shown in me," Rooney said.

Man Utd's all-time top scorer was appointed Birmingham manager in October 2023 when the club were sixth in the table but was sacked in January after they had slid to 20th place.

Prior to his time at Birmingham, Rooney had stepped down as manager of DC United last year after they missed out on the MLS Cup playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

He also had a 17-month spell in charge of Derby County when his team collected 55 points -- enough for survival -- but were relegated to the third-tier after points were deducted amid financial trouble.

As a player, Rooney scored 253 goals for United, won five Premier League titles and the Champions League with the Old Trafford club. He also scored 53 goals for England's national team.