Wayne Rooney is set to return to the USA: according to consistent media reports, he will coach MLS club DC United.
As first reported by The Athletic, Rooney has reached an agreement with the officials of the club, for whom he played relatively successfully from July 2018 to December 2019, to take over the coaching post. Final details are yet to be finalised. England’s record goalscorer left the US capital for Derby County more than a year before the end of his contract. There he initially acted as player-coach, then as head coach after the dismissal of Phillip Cocu.
With the financially struggling English second division club, Rooney was even allowed to dream of staying in the relegation zone last season, despite the loss of 21 points. In the end, however, the mortgage in the Championship proved too great, and at the end of June Rooney, who had even lured youth club FC Everton during the season, asked for the termination of his contract after a turbulent 18 months.
From the frying pan into the fire? DC lost 7-0 on Friday
All the same.
The 36-year-old won’t find conditions easy in D.C. either. Under current interim coach Chad Ashton, United sit second-to-last in the MLS standings with 17 points from 17 games. On Friday, the team led by German professional Julian Gressel suffered the heaviest defeat in the club’s history with a 7-0 loss at Philadelphia Union.
Ashton only took over from the suspended Hernan Losada in April. Since Rooney’s departure as a player, D.C. United has been running behind the sporting success of days gone by in MLS. They missed the play-offs in 2020 and 2021.
Rooney himself had set numerous records in his professional career. With 253 competitive goals, he is the record scorer for Manchester United, with whom he was English champion five times. No other player has scored more goals in the England national team jersey than Rooney (53). He is also the outfield player with the most appearances for the “Three Lions” (120).
