LONDON, Jan 2 — Wayne Rooney’s latest managerial flop ended in his abrupt exit from Plymouth after just seven months, extending a streak of dug-out disappointments for England’s ‘golden generation’. Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were among England’s most decorated players in an era that brought them remarkable success at club level. But the trio have largely struggled to replicate their achievements on the pitch since moving into management.
Rooney left the Championship’s bottom club on Tuesday in the aftermath of last weekend’s damaging 2-0 defeat at relegation rivals Oxford. The former Manchester United star’s host of medals and wealth of experience at the highest level counted for nothing in the cut-throat world of English football’s second tier. Rooney won just four of his 23 league games with Plymouth as he endured another failure in his troubled career as a manager.
The ex-England captain had an 83-day spell at Birmingham last season that brought nine defeats in 15 games and led to the club’s relegation from the Championship after his dismissal. Rooney’s managerial journey has been littered with difficulties since it started in turbulent fashion at Derby, where the club’s financial issues led to relegation from the Championship in 2022. Like Rooney, former Chelsea midfielder Lampard is finding the manager’s chair an especially hot seat.
The 46-year-old recently took charge at second tier Coventry after failing to find a Premier Lea.
