One of Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle players has opened up on the “surreal” experience of working with the former Manchester United star.
Rooney is set to take charge of his first game as Plymouth boss on Sunday against Sheffield Wednesday but he has already made an impact among his players early on in pre-season.
Plymouth director of football, Neil Dewsnip said to The Daily Mail: “There are times I will find myself saying “Oh my God!” when he does something in training,’ says 23-year-old midfielder Adam Randell. ‘It’s all surreal. I never thought that he would come down here but now he is here, I want to learn as much as I can from him.
“There are times he will drop a name or tell a story from his career and you realise the level he was at. He’s so into the tactical side of things and he is more than happy to have a conversation with you. He’s so approachable.”
Plymouth director of football, Neil Dewsnip, added: “He’s got great people skills and that’s important to us. The squad have taken to him incredibly well. They obviously respect him for what he was as a player, one of the best three of his generation — you don’t need me to say the names of the other two.
“But respect has to be earned as a coach and his way of doing that is to show his great personal qualities. He is an excellent communicator, brilliant in one-to-one situations. I don’t think he’s realised yet how powerful he is with his words.”
This is Rooney’s fourth job as a head coach, and despite a positive start to managerial life at Derby, his stock has dropped considerably after a spell in MLS and a disastrous 15-game stint in charge of Birmingham City. He has impressed so far and will have his first proper test today against Sheffield Wednesday.
WHAT NEXT FOR ROONEY?
He will hope to guide Plymouth to a more fruitful season in the Championship, and keep them further away from relegation then his predecessors had. He has kept hold of Morgan Whittaker who had a resounding season in the second division, and will hope to bring the best out of him.
