Wayne Rooney: Only Everton or Man United Could Tempt Me Back

Wayne Rooney Says He Doubts a Return to Management — and Only Everton or Manchester United Could Tempt Him

Wayne Rooney has cast doubt on a return to management, saying only Everton or Manchester United could tempt him back. Out of work since leaving Plymouth Argyle on New Year's Eve in 2024, the former England captain told Virgin Radio that a fifth job is very unlikely, but those two clubs remain the exception.

Who: Wayne Rooney, former England captain and ex-Everton and Manchester United striker.
What: He doubts he will manage again, naming Everton and Manchester United as his only possible routes back.
Where: Speaking on Virgin Radio.
When: He has been out of coaching since leaving Plymouth Argyle on New Year's Eve in 2024.
Record in management: Four jobs — Derby County, DC United, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle — with Plymouth bottom of the Championship when he left.
Preferred destination: "The one that comes first" — he would take either Everton or Manchester United.

What was said

"I doubt it, again I know I've done four difficult jobs. The only way I'd go back in any capacity would be Everton or Manchester United, but that's very unlikely."
— Wayne Rooney, on Virgin Radio, asked whether he could see himself returning to management

"The one that comes first."
— Wayne Rooney, when asked which of Everton or Manchester United he would prefer

The first answer is the honest assessment of a manager who has taken on four demanding jobs and found each one punishing. Rooney has been out of coaching since 31 December 2024, when his Plymouth Argyle spell ended after four wins in 23 Championship matches and the club sitting bottom of the table. That followed time at Derby County, DC United and Birmingham City — a CV of difficult assignments, as he himself described them.

The second answer strips out any sentiment. When pressed on which of Everton or Manchester United he would rather manage, Rooney did not manoeuvre or flatter. "The one that comes first." It is the reply of a man who knows how rarely those vacancies arise and who would not waste time choosing if either came calling.

The numbers

Plymouth Argyle record: Four wins in 23 Championship matches.
League position when he left: Bottom of the Championship.
Everton (playing): 28 goals in 117 appearances across two spells.
Manchester United (playing): 253 goals in 559 matches; club's all-time leading scorer.
Major honours at Manchester United: 17 trophies, including the Champions League, the Club World Cup and five Premier League titles.
Premier League goals: 208 in 491 games for Everton and Manchester United — third-highest in the competition's history behind Alan Shearer and Harry Kane.
Premier League milestone: The only player to reach 200 goals and 100 assists in the competition.
England: 53 goals in 120 caps; only Harry Kane has scored more, and only two players have won more caps.
England youngest scorer: First international goal at 17 years and 317 days.

Why Everton and Manchester United still matter to Rooney

Everton was his club first. Rooney joined the academy at nine years old, built his reputation at Goodison Park and returned later in his career. Manchester United was where he became one of the defining players of his generation, scoring 253 goals in 559 matches and winning 17 major trophies, including the Champions League, the Club World Cup and five Premier League titles.

That history explains why his name still carries weight at both clubs. It also explains why those are the only two doors he would consider walking back through. At Everton, the emotional connection is lifelong; at Manchester United, the standard is the one he helped set. Nothing about his four jobs in management suggests either club would hand him the keys without serious hesitation, but his logic is not about likelihood — it is about meaning.

Great players do not become great managers

Rooney's management record and his playing record sit at opposite ends of the scale, and he is wise enough to acknowledge it. Four difficult jobs, four demanding environments, and no upward move to show for it. Plymouth was the toughest of them all: four wins in 23 Championship matches, a side bottom of the table, and a departure on New Year's Eve 2024.

There is no shame in that. Football regularly reminds us that exceptional players do not automatically translate into exceptional managers. Rooney knows the reality of the market, the scale of Everton and Manchester United, and how rarely those openings appear. His public position is not a plea for a job — it is an acceptance of how the game works.

Talking points

Would either Everton or Manchester United actually appoint Rooney? His Plymouth spell ended with four wins in 23 and bottom of the Championship — hardly a compelling case to either board.
Is his refusal to name a preference between the two clubs admirable honesty or a sign he never expects the call to come from either?
Rooney says he has done "four difficult jobs" — but he chose Derby, DC United, Birmingham and Plymouth. Does that pattern say more about ambition or about where the offers came from?
Should a club with United's standards even consider a manager who has won four of 23 in his most recent job? Sentiment and recruitment rarely mix well.

What happens next

Rooney remains out of work since leaving Plymouth Argyle on New Year's Eve in 2024. His own words make clear he is not actively chasing a return; the next move would have to come from Everton or Manchester United, and even then he calls it "very unlikely". Until either club changes manager, the door stays ajar at most — and the football world waits to see whether Rooney's stance softens or whether this really is the end of his coaching career.

Frequently asked questions

Which clubs would Wayne Rooney manage next?

Rooney says the only way he would return in any capacity is Everton or Manchester United, but he describes that as "very unlikely".

When did Wayne Rooney last manage?

He has been out of coaching since leaving Plymouth Argyle on New Year's Eve in 2024, after four wins in 23 Championship matches left the club bottom of the table.