Tomasz Kuszczak backs Wayne Rooney for Man United return after Plymouth Argyle exit | OneFootball

The former Manchester United goalkeeper has weighed in on his ex-teammates future after Plymouth Argyle departure.

Wayne Rooney's former Manchester United teammate, Tomasz Kuszczak, has weighed in on his future in coaching following his departure from Plymouth Argyle and backed him over a future return to Old Trafford.

The 39-year-old mutually agreed to part ways with the Pilgrims on New Year's Eve after an incredibly difficult seven months in charge that saw him fail to win a single away game as the head coach at Home Park.

The Devonshire outfit did enjoy some excellent victories on their own patch with Rooney as their manager, but a run of nine matches without a win saw his position become untenable, and he agreed to part ways with Argyle ahead of their clash with Bristol City.

Plymouth were bottom of the table and four points from safety when the former Derby County manager's time at the club was brought to an end, and they have already made a positive start to life without him.

Tomasz Kuszczak makes Rooney, Manchester United prediction

Rooney's departure on 31 December was his second from a Championship club in 2024 after he was sacked by Birmingham City at the very start of the year.

His style of play made Argyle extremely open to conceding goals, and they did so in droves, but since he left the club, they have enjoyed a three-game unbeaten run.

Plymouth drew against both Bristol City and Stoke City in their opening two league matches of 2025, before winning on the road for the very first time this season against Premier League side Brentford on Saturday in the FA Cup.

However, former Manchester United goalkeeper Kuszczak believes that Rooney still has a future in coaching, and believes that an Old Trafford return could happen in some capacity.

"I think Wayne will take some time out now to reflect on his coaching," he told Football League World, via 888sport.com.

"He has given it two goes now at Birmingham and Plymouth and he would have learned a lot.

"You can see he has a massive passion for it, so I hope he can continue coaching in some capacity. To return to Man Utd would be brilliant for him, whether it be with the academy or strikers," Kuszczak concluded.

Wayne Rooney's managerial career could be on a long hiatus

Rooney has now had four managerial roles in his relatively short career, and he has found it difficult to stick around in all of them.

His time at Derby County was marred by administration and points deductions, although he did do his best in attempting to keep the Rams in the Championship despite the 21-point deduction. They were relegated to League One at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, missing out on survival by a mere seven points.

Rooney's next job at D.C. United proved incredibly tough, and he missed out on finishing in the MLS play-offs with the club, eventually mutually agreeing to part ways.

He returned to England's second tier in 2023, taking over from John Eustace with Birmingham flirting with the top six. It was an incredibly surprising decision, and it was one that did not work, as Blues sacked him after just two wins in 15 that saw the team drop to 20th in the table before eventually suffering relegation.

The 39-year-old's latest tenure with Plymouth was just as poor, and it does lead to the question of where he will go next. It may take time before he is offered a new role, and he may have to adapt his playing style if he is given another opportunity.