Wayne Rooney says he took Plymouth job to avoid becoming the ‘next Gary Neville’
Wayne Rooney has taken a tongue-in-cheek swipe at Gary Neville in regard to his managerial career.
Rooney was recently appointed the new boss of Championship side Plymouth Argyle but will be under pressure to deliver following disappointing spells with Birmingham City and MLS side DC United.
The former Manchester United and Everton striker has outlined some ambitious aims for the Devon side, who he would like to guide to the Premier League.
“We need to be clever in how we work,” Rooney said (via BBC Sport).
“I’m not going to come out and say we’re going to be looking to get to the Premier League in a year’s time, we need to be realistic.
“What we’re trying to do is build on what the club has done over the last five years, which has been rising and getting better.
“I think we need to keep moving forward and keep trying to improve and certainly improve on last season.
“Hopefully at the end of a timeframe which we have in, we can get closer to that Premier League.”
Rooney has dig at Neville
Neville famously tried his hand at management post-retirement, taking charge of Spanish giants Valencia between December 2015 and March 2016 while also serving as an assistant coach with the England national team for four years.
But Neville suffered a torrid time at the Mestalla, winning just 10 of his 28 games across all competitions, with a 7-0 defeat to Barcelona in La Liga one of the lowest points in the club’s recent history.
Neville was sacked at the end of March and while his brother Phil — who worked alongside him at Los Che as an assistant — has gone on to manage the likes of England Women, Inter Miami and, now, the Portland Timbers — Gary has instead flourished as a pundit.
Rooney has, himself, worked as a pundit for the BBC during the European Championships in Germany this summer, but is desperate to avoid following the path of his former Manchester United and England teammate.
“I don’t want to become the next Gary Neville,” Rooney joked when asked why he took the Plymouth job.
“I have a desire, a passion with football and a love for football and I’ve always had that.
“The last few months have been very strange for me. Since January it’s been a real strange time being at home.
“I’ve done bits of TV work, but my real desire is to get back into management.”
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