Wayne Rooney lands in Washington ahead of DC United return

Wayne Rooney has agreed to contract terms to become the new manager of MLS side DC United as the former England captain returns to the United States capital.

Rooney, 36, played for DC United in 2018 and 2019, scoring 25 goals in 52 appearances, and was caught on camera arriving at Dulles Airport on Sunday night as he closes in on a return to the dugout.

Rooney traveled alone, without his wife Coleen who struggled to settle in Washington when he was a player there.

He has asked England-based players to join him at DC in recent weeks.

The Washington Post reported that Rooney is close to agreeing a deal, with the former Everton and Manchester United striker telling reporters and fans at the airport he has ‘a few things to sort out’.

Sportsmail had revealed the news on Friday that Rooney had been lined up for a shock return to DC United.

Rooney left Derby County in League One at the end of June, having been unable to prevent the club in crisis from being relegated from the Championship.

He received many accolades for the way he ran a club in administration and serious financial difficulties.

The Post reports that Rooney is set to agree a multi-year deal worth at least $1m (£830,000) a year. He will act as a consultant for DC United until he obtains a work permit, which usually takes two to three weeks.

By comparison, a 2020 Sportsmail survey found that Championship managers in England, like Rooney was last season, earn an average of £878,000 a year, while in League One it drops to £182. £438.

Rooney will inherit a struggling team with DC second bottom in the MLS Eastern Conference, having won just five of 17 games so far this season.

They were beaten 7-0 by Philadelphia in their last outing on Saturday, the heaviest loss in club history.

Rooney will succeed interim coach Chad Ashton, who is expected to return to the assistant coaching role he has held for the past 15 years. They sacked coach Hernan Losada in April.

Rooney, who was at Wimbledon with his wife Coleen and son Kai on Friday, enjoyed a successful two-year spell with the Washington-based team where he scored 25 goals in 52 games and boosted the franchise despite his family having struggled to settle in the United States.

The move may be more manageable this time around as the MLS season is due to end in October unless the teams enter the play-offs and it ends in November with the World Cup in mind.

Rooney has been open about his ambitions to continue coaching here with his ultimate goal of managing Manchester United, but a return to America would add another string to his bow as he seeks to become a more accomplished manager.

He has already been invited to interview for the managerial position at Everton and will be sure to have no shortage of offers when they come up in the Championship or beyond after the way he has behaved himself and his players. throughout the battle of Derby to survive – despite obstacles and points. penalties imposed on them.

However, Rooney’s wife Coleen may be wary of her husband returning to the US, after saying Washington ‘was quite behind the UK’ when the ex-Man United star joined. the club as a player.

In texts to Rebekah Vardy in 2018, which were revealed earlier this year amid the Wagatha Christie feud, Coleen said: ‘Hiya, I hope you’re all week [well]. We’re fine, thank you, it’s hard to be alone.

She added: ‘Washington isn’t the best…nice to visit but different to experience. Not much for kids to do, mostly park, hardly any soft games and stuff like that.

“It’s quite behind the UK, which I would never have done.” But we will get used to it (I hope).

“Wayne loves it, and the kids are fine, settled in to school straight away. So really happy they are fine. Thanks for the love message xx.”