Wayne Rooney, Manchester United and England legend, has agreed on terms to become DC United manager. The deal reunites Rooney with the club he played for in the 2018 and 2019 MLS seasons.
Media spotted the former Derby County boss at Dulles International Airport on Sunday, where he met club officials. He told the waiting media he had a “few things to sort” out. He added he was “looking forward to the challenge” of reversing the fortunes of the cellar-dwelling MLS franchise.
Top brass at DC United has remained tight-lipped regarding the upcoming announcement. Insiders claim the two parties are on the verge of agreeing to a $1 million per season deal. If that deal comes to fruition, it will be the largest contract given to a staff member in DC United history.
Once the paperwork is complete and Rooney has obtained a work permit, he will take over from caretaker boss Chad Ashton. Ashton himself has been in the dugout after Hernan Losada was relieved of his duties earlier this season. Ashton has been at the club for 15 years and the expectation is he will be a part of Wayne Rooney’s backroom staff.
WAYNE ROONEY HAS A BIG JOB ON HIS HANDS AT DC UNITED
DC United are having a terrible season so far in the MLS. The Black and Red have a 5-10-2 record at the moment. They sit on 17 points, tied with Chicago Fire for the worst record in the league. Last time out DC was humbled 7-0 away from home by the Philadelphia Union. In an embarrassing performance, DC United was down 5-0 at halftime.
Wayne Rooney is used to that type of challenge. He has just finished a tumultuous spell as Derby County boss in the English second tier. Reports suggest Rooney is looking to bring in an English assistant manager to help him with the day-to-day running of the club. He is also hoping to leverage his contacts in the European game in order to bring in talent on the pitch. Any deal will need to be done before the transfer window closes across the pond on August 4th.
One name that has been bandied about as a potential signing is former Liverpool, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid striker Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan is currently without a club after a move to River Plate in Argentina, which fell apart at the last minute. El Pistolero would be a superb candidate to fill one of DC’s designated player slots.
DC United fans will hope Wayne Rooney can bring back the good old days when he was playing for the side. The last time the capital club qualified for the playoffs was in 2019. Coincidentally, that was Rooney’s last season at the club.
STUEYS TWO CENTS
This seems like it is a good deal for both Rooney and United.
For Wayne Rooney, he broadens his coaching knowledge by moving outside of the UK. Regardless of how bad things get, I highly doubt that the pressure will get anywhere near the levels he experienced as coach of Derby County. There is also that $1 million a season salary it is rumored he will receive.
For DC United, it’s a free hit. Things can’t get much worse. They are already tied as the worst team in the entire league. They really have nothing to lose by appointing Rooney. I think, given time, Rooney will do well in the US capital.
The financial problems and league sanctions overshadowed his brilliant work at Derby. This appointment could be a big win for DC United.
Stuart Kavanagh is a sports journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Along with being the owner of the sports and entertainment website thepyrrhic.com, he is the co-host of the ‘After Extra Time’ podcast. Football mad, he is always down for debate and discussion at @stueyissickofit on Twitter.