Wayne Rooney could be set to make a return to management, with the Manchester United legend reportedly in the frame to take over at Salford City should things go south at the Peninsula Stadium.
The 39-year-old has been out of work since parting ways with Plymouth Argyle on New Year’s Eve, with the Pilgrims rock bottom of the Championship.
Since then he has kept himself busy with punditry, appearing as a marquee name on Amazon’s Champions League coverage, but The Sun cite a Heat World story claiming he is heading back to the dugout.
An insider for the gossip magazine, whose report mostly focuses on Coleen Rooney, said: “There’s talk of Wayne getting another managerial role at Salford City FC.
“It’s local, so he doesn’t have to move out, but he won’t be home 24/7 and will have something to focus on.”
Salford are currently managed by Karl Robinson, who has been in post since January 2024, and they sit 9th in League Two with one win in their last five matches.
The Sun claim that The Ammies, who count Rooney’s former team-mates Gary and Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt as co-owners, could look to replace Robinson if they miss out on promotion.
Rooney has had three shots at management since retiring but is yet to enjoy any major success.
He has enjoyed spells at the helm with Derby County, Birmingham City and Plymouth, and has also kept himself busy with coaching stints with Football Escapes in Dubai.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Englishman back in charge of a club soon, having told the Stick to Football podcast, via The Sun, that he would “like to go back in” to management. “It’d have to be the right club,” he had said. “Certainly the right club.”
He had added that he would be equally happy accepting a role with an U21 side, as a coach or even an assistant manager as United’s top goalscorer looks to build a lasting career in football management.
Heat World’s insider notes that even if a move to the Salford dugout doesn’t materialise, Rooney still has options for his next career steps.
They said: “There’s also talk of him joining Match Of The Day as a pundit, which would be perfect as it’s filmed in Manchester. So he wouldn’t have too far to travel.”
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Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
