Wayne Rooney from record goalscorer to manager
by Julian Tabone
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ews last January that Wayne Rooney was appointed manager at Championship side Derby County on a two-and-a-half year contract should have come as no surprise to us all. He had already been appointed as interim coach in November following the dismissal of Philip Cocu and before that, he had also taken over the role of player-coach. Wayne Rooney is England’s and Manchester United’s all-time top scorer. A bit of a look back at where it all started from for Wayne Rooney shows you all you need to know about the man. Now that he is officially a full-time manager, however, he will soon realize the tough job that is.
– is always raving about the uniqueness of our club and is always reminiscing of the glory days and to the benchmark at Manchester United that is always a bit above everyone else’s. He gives you the impression he is always trying to replicate Sir Alex Ferguson. Even some of the soundbites he throws every now and then remind you of Sir Alex and I wouldn’t bet he does not give Sir Alex the occasional phone call for advice. I am not saying Wayne Rooney should do the same but the experience he has had whilst playing at Manchester United will certainly be of great help albeit not a guarantee of success once in a dug-out.
The pressure at Manchester United is incomparable. That can make or break you. And Wayne Rooney lived in that kind of atmosphere for about 13 years. He has had a glittering playing career. Made 559 appearances and scored a record 253 goals. Won 5 Premiership titles, 1 FA Cup, 3 League Cups, 4 Community Shields, 1 Champions League, I Europa League, 1 Club World Cup and countless of individual awards. In the eyes of most of us, he is a legend. Yet, as it is only normal, he had his lows as well. And, if he wants to last long in a managerial role, he would also do well to look back and reflect at some of the major events that characterised his own career at Man United and the ways the club managed those situations.
To be a successful manager, you need character. Amongst various other attributes, you need to be a leader, you need to be ruthless and you need a good dose of man-management. Those are not qualities that every great player has any right to possess. I feel though that Manchester United players are always at an advantage. The education a player is given at Manchester United is exceptional. Just look at our current manager. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – another former Manchester United player turned into Manager
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VOL 48 - ISSUE 2 - MARCH 2021
To start with, Alex Ferguson’s treatment when Rooney himself first wanted to leave United
