WASHINGTON (UPI) — MLS club DC United agreed to hire English soccer legend Wayne Rooney as its new manager, a league source told UPI on Monday.
DC United fired manager Hernan Losada in April. Interim manager Chad Ashton coached the team to five wins, 10 losses, and two draws through 17 games this season.
The league source said Rooney will assume his new role immediately, pending the team’s receipt of a work visa.
Rooney, 36, announced on June 24 that he resigned from his former role as manager of Derby County. Derby County totaled 14 wins, 13 draws, and 19 losses last season in the Football League Championship. They were demoted to English Football League One, the country’s third-tier league for soccer.
Rooney was a player-manager when he first joined Derby County in 2020. He retired from soccer in 2021 to become a permanent manager. Derby County finished 21st in 2020-21 and 23rd in 2021-22.
The all-time leading scorer for the England men’s national team, who spent most of his playing career at Manchester United, also played for DC United from 2018 to 2020.
The Philadelphia Union beat DC United 7-0 on Friday in Philadelphia.
Reporting by Alex Butler
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