'It's a no-brainer!' - Wayne Rooney reveals desire to join Michael Carrick's Man Utd staff as Old Trafford legend seeks new way back into coaching

Speaking on his self-titled BBC podcast on Monday, Rooney made it clear that, if asked by Carrick to rejoin the club, he would absolutely be back at Manchester United as an assistant coach.

"Of course I would. It's a no-brainer," he said.

"I'm not begging a job here by the way. Just so everyone knows, if I was asked to go in of course I would. Appointing the manager is the most important thing."

Carrick looks set to land the interim manager's position this week, winning that race ahead of Darren Fletcher and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. What all three candidates have in common is that each played hundreds of games for United during the club's Premier League heyday.

Hiring people who haven't been exposed to that United culture before – the likes of Ruben Amorim, Erik ten Hag, Ralf Rangnick and Louis van Gaal – hasn't worked. Rooney therefore believes "it needs people who know the football club" to bring the Red Devils back.

"Roy Keane – I know Roy has had his opinions, I said about Roy going in earlier in the season," Rooney offered. "Having people who know the club, who care for the club and understand what it takes to be a Manchester United player – that's where the club needs to be.

"The club has lost its identity, it's lost that family feel, if you like. this is an opportunity to bring that back, bring the spirit of Manchester United back to the football club."

Rooney's fledgling managerial career hasn't enjoyed great success. At the age of 40, he's already been hired by and left four different clubs in varying circumstances, with things seeming to get progressively.

After he resigned as Derby County boss in 2022, having led the club in an extraordinarily difficult period, Rooney departed D.C. United in 2023 after failing to make the MLS play-offs, before spells back in England with Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle both ended in quick dismissals – it was just 40 games in charge combined at the latter two clubs.

Set for life financially from his glittering playing career and picking up regular media work, Rooney hasn't taken on another job in football since being sacked by Plymouth on New Year's Eve in 2024. But that doesn't mean he wouldn't want to be a manager again.

"I would like to go back in [to management]," he said last January during an appearance on Gary Neville's Stick to Football podcast. "But it would have to be the right club.

"I'd have no problem dropping into an Under-21 team or going in as a coach... I'm still young enough to learn and develop. Just having a good group of players who were at a [good] level."

If anything, going back into the sport as an assistant, rather than bearing the full brunt of the spotlight as a manager, might be a slightly gentler way of developing his post-playing career.

Reports suggest that Carrick, having agreed himself to take on the job of Manchester United interim manager, is going through the finer details of the appointment before the club makes an official announcement. Part of that is believed to be the make-up of his support staff.

Amorim's central core of coaches departed with him – as is usually the case in such circumstances – leaving Carrick to build his own team of three or four close aides.

It remains to be seen what will happen with Fletcher, who was in charge for the Premier League draw against Burnley and the FA Cup defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. He is thought to have impressed the hierarchy in challenging conditions but was formerly Under-18s manager and could return to that job.

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