Wayne Rooney is a candidate to take over at Plymouth Argyle, with a key factor highlighting why the Manchester United legend could make a shock return to management.
A torrid spell at Birmingham City last season saw Rooney win just twice in 15 games, taking the club from sixth in the Championship to 20th when he left. Ultimately, Argyle stayed up at the expense of Blues, who were relegated on the final day to the third tier for the first time since 1995.
But, according to The Telegraph, Plymouth Argyle have entered talks with Rooney over him potentially becoming their new manager, and there's one clear reason why negotiations could become a whole lot easier.
Having come through Everton's academy, Rooney spent his early career on Merseyside receiving high-level coaching from a number of different people - one of them including Plymouth Argyle's Director of Football, Neil Dewsnip.
Dewsnip spent 17 years coaching in the Everton academy between 1996 and 2013, helping bring through talented individuals such as Rooney, Ross Barkley, Leon Osman and Jack Rodwell. He then worked for the English FA across a number of youth teams, before joining then-League Two side Plymouth in 2019.
Now in the Championship, Dewsnip has played an important role in getting the Pilgrims two divisions higher in just five years. Overseeing the club's footballing operations, he has made key decisions in recent times, and even stepped in as caretaker manager twice in the 2023/24 season - once when Steven Schumacher left for Stoke City, and again when the club sacked Ian Foster towards the end of the campaign.
And Dewsnip has previous for appointing people he is familiar with: Schumacher was also a player he coached in the Everton youth team, who then replaced Ryan Lowe when he left for Preston North End in December 2021. In fact, Schumacher and Rooney even played in the same FA Youth Cup team that lost in the final to Aston Villa in 2002.
Despite this connection, plenty of Plymouth Argyle fans are still unconvinced Rooney is the man to take the vacant managerial job. A torrid spell at Birmingham City last season saw him win just twice in 15 games, taking the club from sixth in the Championship to 20th when he left.
Ultimately, Argyle stayed up at the expense of Blues, who were relegated on the final day to the third tier for the first time since 1995.
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