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Wayne Rooney has thanked Plymouth Argyle fans for the “memories we will share forever” after ending his 25-game reign as manager with the club bottom of the Championship and four points from safety.
Newcomer manager Rooney has been under pressure after overseeing a run of one win in 14 matches, including a 2-0 defeat at relegation rivals Oxford United on Sunday, which was Argyle’s fourth successive away defeat without scoring.
“To the Green Army, thank you for making the games at Home Park so special,” said the 39-year-old, who also praised his coaching staff, club chairman Simon Hallett and director of football Neil Dewsnip.
“These are memories we will share forever. Plymouth Argyle will always have a special place in my heart and I will continue to keep an eye on their results and take an interest in them.”
LATEST: Wayne Rooney to leave Plymouth by mutual consent 🚨 pic.twitter.com/VkVf2toR56
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 31, 2024
Rooney leaves Plymouth
Rooney, assistant manager Mike Phelan and coach Simon Ireland have all left The Pilgrims by mutual consent, with first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell and club captain Joe Edwards taking charge for the trip to Bristol City on Wednesday (12.30 GMT), with Daryl Flahavan remaining as goalkeeper coach.
Phelan coached Rooney when he was assistant manager at Manchester United, first under Sir Alex Ferguson between 2008 and 2013, and later under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick between 2018 and 2022.
Rooney Plymouth record
United’s all-time top goalscorer described joining Argyle as “the perfect next step in my career” when he surprisingly landed the job in May.
Hallett said Rooney’s “ambitions and goals” are a perfect fit for the club, adding that he will provide “an exciting and attacking brand of football that we all like to see and help us achieve the club’s mission”.
Steven Schumacher led Plymouth to promotion in 2023 before leaving in December that year to join Stoke City, his replacement, Ian Foster, taking on a dismal three-month tenure before an interim management team ensured safety on the final day of last season.
Starting with a 4-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in a four-game winless run, Argyle have struggled throughout the campaign and have never secured back-to-back wins under Rooney.
They recorded back-to-back home wins over Sunderland and Luton Town in September and beat fourth-tier Cheltenham Town to reach the second round of the Carabao Cup, but have not won since beating Portsmouth 1-0 at home on November 5.
More to come
