Wayne Rooney Appoints Mike Phelan as Assistant Coach at Plymouth Argyle

Former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan has been appointed as Wayne Rooney’s new assistant head coach at Plymouth Argyle. The 62-year-old, who spent nine years coaching at Old Trafford in two spells, replaces Pete Shuttleworth, who has left the club by mutual consent.

Rooney, who worked with Phelan during his time as a player at Manchester United, expressed his delight at the appointment. “Mike is someone I know well having worked with him when I was a player at Manchester United and he has vast experience at the highest level of football,” said Rooney in a statement on Plymouth’s website. “I am really pleased to bring him to Argyle and look forward to seeing him get to work immediately.”

Phelan’s arrival comes at a crucial time for Argyle, who have struggled in recent weeks, winning just one of their last nine matches. The team has conceded 10 goals in their last two games – a 6-1 loss at Norwich City and a 4-0 defeat at Bristol City. Saturday’s game with Oxford United was postponed due to Storm Darragh, and results elsewhere have left the Pilgrims third from bottom in the Championship.

Shuttleworth, who had been Rooney’s assistant throughout his managerial career at Birmingham City, DC United, and Derby County, departs the club due to personal matters. “I am sad to see Pete leave the club,” added Rooney. “He is someone I have worked with very closely throughout my managerial career, having first met at Derby County and he has also been a close friend. Pete has some personal matters going on which is where his focus needs to be and we all completely respect that and have mutually decided to part ways.”

Phelan brings a wealth of experience to Home Park, having worked with some of the best players in the world during his time at Manchester United. He helped coach the Red Devils to three Premier League titles, a Fifa Club World Cup, two League Cups, and two Champions League finals during his first spell at the club, which ended when Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. Phelan returned to Old Trafford in 2018 to support Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, remaining with the club until 2022.

Plymouth director of football Neil Dewsnip expressed his excitement at Phelan’s appointment, stating, “We are thrilled to bring in someone of Mike’s calibre so quickly as a replacement. He is one of the most experienced coaches around, having worked with some of the best players in the world and obviously has a relationship with Wayne already from their time together at Manchester United. We look forward to seeing his work have an immediate impact on the group and hope his experience will provide the perfect support to Wayne as we head into a very busy period of fixtures.”

As Plymouth Argyle battles to avoid relegation, the club will be hoping that Phelan’s experience and expertise can help turn their season around. With Rooney at the helm and Phelan by his side, the Pilgrims will be looking to climb the Championship table and secure their status in the second tier of English football.