Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney explains his managerial goals

Wayne Rooney spent well over a decade at Manchester United, scoring 253 goals across his brilliant career.

Since his retirement from playing football, Wayne Rooney has managed at Derby County and his current club DC United, and has been touted to return to Manchester United one day to manage the club whose fans adore him so much.

His time at Derby, although they ultimately got relegated, was quite a success, in context.

He kept them up in his first season on the final day, and despite heavy sanctions leaving the club on the brink of liquidation, he managed for a second season and earned plaudits world-wide.

His future has been speculated on many times, and he recently turned down the chance to manage his boyhood club Everton.

Speaking to The Times, Rooney said: "My ambition one day is to manage at the top and that (a multinational environment) is what you get at top clubs.

"I looked and thought it’s a great chance to experience it."

Speaking on his decision to take charge of DC United instead of continuing in England, Rooney said it was to challenge himself: "It’s a chance to take myself out of my comfort zone and develop as a coach.

"I could have sat at home and waited - managers get sacked, normally, around this time and jobs would have come up, but I think in England we have the best league in the world and a great structure below it and we’re a bit stubborn.

"Not enough managers take that risk and challenge themselves by going abroad. Too many just wait to see what comes up in England."

Many questioned Rooney's move, but he is a firm believer that the switch back to the United States will help him improve and grow as a manager.

Wayne Rooney at DC United. (Alamy)

"To go abroad is a gamble but I believe in myself and you could say ‘what is a safe option?' Whatever club you go to, as a manager your job’s not safe. I just thought this is a way of furthering my education.

"Yeah, I played at the top but you go back to square one and I’m at the start of my coaching career and you have to put the work in to get to where you want to go. I want to learn, get better, develop."

DC United currently sit last in the Eastern Conference of the MLS.