Wayne Rooney has admitted he wouldn’t think twice about putting his Manchester United loyalties aside to work with one of the club’s fiercest rivals.
Manchester United’s all-time record goal scorer is back on the lookout for a new job in management after his last role at Birmingham City ended in disaster.
Wayne Rooney lasted just 15 games in charge at St. Andrew’s, winning only twice, before being sacked at the start of 2024.
As the 38-year-old bides his time for his next position he has risked the ire of United fans by admitting he would jump at the chance of working with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Wayne Rooney would love to work with Pep Guardiola
Speaking to the Stick to Football podcast, Rooney said: “It depends [on whether I’d ever be an assistant] – if Pep Guardiola comes in and asks me to be his assistant, you’d walk there.
“But you see what Arteta is doing now and I strongly believe a lot of that is from learning what Guardiola was doing and so it depends on what the situation is.”
It doesn’t look likely
Rooney might want to work alongside Guardiola but it’s hard to see that ever happening.
Before his two-month-long spell at Birmingham, Rooney didn’t enjoy much success in his stints in charge at Derby Count and DC United either.
His time at Derby, which started as player-manager, was mitigated by the club’s difficult financial position but he failed to reach the playoffs in the MLS in two attempts and finished bottom of the Eastern Conference in his first season.
Rooney doesn’t appear to be the type of coach Guardiola wants at City, with Juanma Lillo currently filling the post at the Etihad Stadium.
It would likely benefit his career if he ever did get the chance, though. Mikel Arteta served under Guardiola for three years before taking over Arsenal and has grown into an accomplished Premier League manager.
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