Rooney to take DC United coaching role

DC United will appoint Wayne Rooney as their new head coach, according to reports.

Rooney left League One club Derby in June, having overseen a difficult period for the Rams during his first job as a manager.

Having kept Derby up on the final day of the 2020-21 campaign, Rooney was unable to repeat that feat last term, in large part due to a 21-point penalty for financial mismanagement by their ownership.

He was the subject of interest from his old club Everton in January but declined the opportunity to be interviewed for a role subsequently filled by Frank Lampard.

Rooney is now set to take over at Major League Soccer side DC, where he played in 2018 and 2019 before returning to England to join Derby.

The Athletic's Pablo Iglesias Maurer reported on Sunday that terms between DC and Rooney – England and Manchester United's record goalscorer – had been agreed.

Rooney scored 25 goals in all competitions for the American club after joining from Everton in 2018. 

He will replace interim coach Chad Ashton, who last weekend apologised for an "embarrassing" 7-0 defeat to the Philadelphia Union.

Ashton has been in charge of DC since April following Hernan Losada's departure. They sit 13th in the Eastern Conference with just five wins from 17 games in 2022.