The Steven Schumacher, Wayne Rooney link that may shock you - it doesn’t involve Plymouth Argyle | OneFootball

The two former Plymouth managers actually go further back to their days in the Everton academy

Steven Schumacher and Wayne Rooney's main links come from their managerial careers, as only 16 games under Ian Foster separated their spells as Plymouth Argyle bosses.

However, their history actually predates that by around 20 years.

The two former players were born 18 months apart, and both came up through the Everton squad together, both achieving success in the various youth teams with the Premier League side.

Unfortunately, Schumacher couldn't keep up with Rooney's rapid progression as a player, but perhaps his superior managerial career may make up for it slightly.

Steven Schumacher captained Everton's youth sides which included Wayne Rooney

Rooney is one of the most recognisable names in English football, and it's common knowledge to any fan of the Premier League that the 40-year-old came through the academy at Everton.

Arguably, his finest moment in the academy came when he scored eight goals in eight games en route to the FA Youth Cup final in 2002, but also in that side, and actually the captain of the side, was Steven Schumacher.

Schumacher was also captain of the England U-19s team at the same time, but as a player, the current Bolton Wanderers boss never got anywhere close to the heights that Rooney did.

Not to say that the 41-year-old's career wasn't a good one. Schumacher was a dependable, solid, commanding central midfielder for a host of EFL sides, including Bradford City, Crewe Alexandra and Bury.

But meanwhile, Rooney was winning Premier Leagues, Champions Leagues, FA Cups and earning England senior caps, which makes what Schumacher did look slightly insignificant.

However, Schumacher can always hold the fact that he captained a side that had Rooney in it way back when over his former youth teammate, and he can also say that his time in management, both at Plymouth and elsewhere, has been more successful, too.

Steven Schumacher's time in management trumps Wayne Rooney's

Rooney has managed at a higher level more consistently than Schumacher has over the course of both of their managerial careers, but the current Bolton boss is arguably a Championship manager in waiting, and once he gets a crack at things once more in the second tier, he'll establish himself there.

His time at Stoke City wasn't actually much of a disaster, either, finishing up at the bet365 Stadium with a 40% winning record.

In comparison, Rooney's time as manager of both Birmingham City and Plymouth in the Championship are periods that both he and the teams would want to forget.

Many Blues and Argyle fans will actually attribute their relegations to League One to the damage which was caused during the time that the Manchester United legend spent in their dugout. And at Derby County, despite the off-field turmoil the club was undergoing at the time, he only managed a winning percentage of just 29% at Pride Park, too.

Plymouth fans have very opposing opinions of Schumacher and Rooney's time in the Home Park dugout, and that perhaps outlines the duo's future in the game.