Plymouth director of football Neil Dewsnip has revealed the peculiar question that landed Wayne Rooney to job as manager of the Championship club.
Manchester United legend Rooney's tenure as Plymouth Argyle got off to a poor start on Sunday, as Sheffield Wednesday beat Plymouth Argyle 4-0.
The 38-year-old joined the Championship club in May 2024, one month after the side sacked previous manager Ian Foster.
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And the strange question that Rooney was asked that led to him getting the job has now been revealed.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Plymouth director of football Neil Dewsnip explained the question that led to the appointment.
He said: “This is a coup — it isn’t a gamble. We have done our research and Wayne was selected after a thorough process as the best candidate.
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“He was asked during his interview in May about relationships and dealing with staff. The chairman asked him what members of staff he knew at Derby outside the football set-up, and straightaway he told him the name of a groundsman and the laundry lady.
"He’s got great people skills and that’s important to us."
The footballing legend has struggled as a manager, most recently at Birmingham City, where he was sacked after just 15 matches having won only two games.
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But Dewsnip is confident that Rooney can get the best out of the Plymouth Argyle squad, who escaped relegation to League One last season by just one point having been promoted the season before.
“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," added Dewsnip.
“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.”
Topics: Wayne Rooney, Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County, Birmingham City, League One
Ben McCrum