Wayne Rooney has been out of the game since he was sacked by Plymouth Argyle in December but a return could be on the cards sooner than expected.
Man Utd all-time leading scorer Rooney was dismissed after just seven months with Argyle bottom of the Championship and ultimately replaced by Miron Muslic.
Plymouth's new manager has delivered some incredible moments but has been unable to steer them away from relegation.
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Muslic and Plymouth are heading for League One but Rooney could find himself back in the Championship next season thanks to a potential shock appointment from a former Premier League club in need of stability if a top-flight return is to be a possibility.
According to a report from talkSPORT, Rooney is a managerial target for Blackburn Rovers despite Valerien Ismael still being in the post.
"Blackburn only appointed Valerien Ismael in February after John Eustace quit to join Derby, but the Frenchman is already under pressure after winning just one of his eight games in
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charge," reads a talkSPORT Instagram post.
"talkSPORT understands that Cheshire resident Rooney would be a contender to step into the hot-seat at Ewood Park.
"Rooney has been out of work since being sacked by Plymouth in December after winning just five of his 25 games in charge."
Eustace's unexpected departure from Blackburn with only a relegation battle to get his teeth into hinted at serious problems behind-the-scenes.
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Former Watford and West Bromwich Albion boss Ismael stepped up to the plate but Blackburn have beaten only hapless Luton Town since his appointment.
Rooney "still harbours ambitions to be a success in the dugout after spells at Derby, Birmingham and DC United," adds talkSPORT.
Rooney's reputation has been damaged by his last two jobs.
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He replaced Eustace directly in a controversial appointment that was destined to backfire for Birmingham City, who have been promoted as this season's League One champions under Chris Davies after relegation to the third tier last season.
His stint at Plymouth was a hiding to nothing. They too were promoted as third division champions in 2022-23 and survived their first season in the Championship, finishing just one point ahead of relegated Birmingham.
A return to the Championship higher up the table than those two sackings would be an unexpected twist in the already unorthodox managerial career of the former England star.
Rooney is held in high regard within the game and a better choice of club could yet prove his true worth. Whether that club is Blackburn is a much bigger question mark.
Topics: Wayne Rooney, Manchester United, Man Utd, Blackburn Rovers
Chris Nee