Welcome back! Wayne Rooney confirmed as DC United’s new head coach as MLS side hail unveiling of their new ‘fearless leader’, weeks after he left crisis club Derby County
- Wayne Rooney has been appointed as the new manager of MLS side DC United
- It’s a swift return to management for the England icon, who recently left Derby
- Sportsmail exclusively revealed on Friday that Rooney was lined up for a return
- The 36-year-old left Pride Park last month following a tumultuous spell
- Now the Man United and Everton legend returns to his former club in the US
Wayne Rooney has made a swift return to management after being named as the new head coach of his former club DC United.
The 36-year-old left Derby last month following a tumultuous spell where his own stock improved despite chaos off the pitch at the Rams.
Sportsmail exclusively revealed the news on Friday that Rooney had been lined up for a shock return to DC United
The former England, Manchester United and Everton striker has wasted no time being out of the game, although he will have to wait for completion of a visa application to formally take up his new role back in Washington, where he enjoyed a two-year playing spell.
‘DC United announced today that Wayne Rooney has been named as the club’s new head coach,’ the Major League Soccer club said in a statement.
‘Interim head coach Chad Ashton will remain in charge of the team until Wayne Rooney has received his work visa.’
Rooney, 36, played for DC United in 2018 and 2019, scoring 25 goals in 52 matches.
Wayne Rooney has been appointed as the new head coach of MLS team DC United
The Manchester United legend signs his contract as he becomes their DC United’s new boss
Rooney holds up a DC United scarf upon his return to the club where he featured as a player
The MLS side tweeted: ‘Welcome back, Wayne. The club is excited to announce @WayneRooney as the new head coach of D.C. United.’
Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan, co-chairmen of DC United, said in a joint-statement on the club’s official website: ‘Wayne is a soccer legend and one of the most exciting and dynamic up-and-coming managers in our sport.
‘He’s already proven in his young coaching career that he knows how to lead a group through adversity.
‘He has an understanding of our league and what it takes to be successful in Major League Soccer thanks to his two-year stay with us as a player.
‘The passion he showed while wearing Black-and-Red electrified our city and our club and we are so excited to welcome him back as our Head Coach.’
You heard it here first…. Sportsmail revealed news of Rooney’s return to DC United on Friday
Rooney will have to wait for completion of a visa application to formally take up his new role
Rooney, 36, played for DC United in 2018 and 2019, scoring 25 goals in 52 matches
Rooney left League One side Derby County at the end of June having been unable to prevent the crisis-stricken club from relegation out of the Championship.
He received plenty of plaudits for the way he led a club in administration and severe financial difficulties.
The Washington Post reported last week that Rooney is expected to agree to a multi-year contract worth at least $1million (£830,000) annually. He will act as a consultant for DC United until he is granted a work permit, which typically takes two to three weeks.
The former England captain touched down at Dulles Airport in Washington on Sunday night
By means of comparison, a survey by Sportsmail from 2020 revealed that Championship managers in England, as Rooney was last season, earn on average £878,000-a-year, while in League One that drops to £182,438.
Rooney will inherit a struggling team with DC second bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference, having won just five of 17 matches so far this season.
They were thrashed 7-0 by Philadelphia in their latest outing on Saturday, the heaviest defeat in the history of the club.
Rooney takes over from interim coach Chad Ashton, who is expected to return to the assistant coach role he has performed for the last 15 years. They sacked coach Hernan Losada back in April.
Rooney, who was at Wimbledon with wife Coleen and son Kai on Friday, had a successful two-year spell with the Washington based side where he scored 25 goals in 52 games and energised the franchise, though his family did struggle to settle in the United States.
Rooney and wife Coleen were on Centre Court at Wimbledon on Friday afternoon
The move may be easier to manage this time round as the MLS season is due to end in October unless teams are in the play-offs and they will be wrapped up in November with the World Cup in mind.
Rooney has spoken openly about his ambitions to continue coaching here with his ultimate goal to manage Manchester United but a spell back in America would add another string to his bow as he looks to make himself a more accomplished coach.
He has been asked to interview for the manager’s job at Everton previously and will not be short of offers when they arise in the Championship or beyond after the manner in which he handled himself and his players through Derby’s battle to survive – despite the obstacles and points penalties that were thrown against them.
However, Rooney’s wife Coleen could be reluctant for her husband to make the move back to the United States, after stating Washington ‘is quite behind the UK’ when the ex-Man United star moved to the club as a player.
Rooney’s wife Coleen (right) admitted moving to Washington in 2018 was ‘tough’ for her
In texts to Rebekah Vardy in 2018, which were revealed earlier this year amid the Wagatha Christie feud, Coleen said: ‘Hiya, hope your all week [well]. We’re ok thanks its tough being on your own though.’
She added: ‘Washington isn’t the best….nice to visit but different to live. Not loads for the kids to do, mostly park, hardly any soft plays and things like that.
‘It’s quite behind the UK, which I never would have though. But we will get used to it (I hope).
‘Wayne is loving it, and the kids are fine, settled into school straight away. So really happy they are fine. Thanks for the message love xx.’
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