WAYNE ROONEY is in line for a shock return to management just four months after being sacked by Plymouth Argyle.
Blackburn are reportedly considering him as pressure mounts on boss Valerien Ismael.
Ismael took over at Ewood Park after John Eustace surprisingly left the club to join Derby in February.
But Blackburn have won just one of the Frenchman’s eight games in charge and they have slipped out the race for the play-offs.
talkSPORT claim Ismael is under mounting pressure despite him signing a three-year contract just months ago.
The Rovers are already weighing up his replacement and Rooney is supposedly on the list of possible candidates for the job.
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Rooney, who has swapped dugout for punditry so far this year, was axed on New Year’s Eve by Argyle.
The Manchester United and England legend guided the club to just four victories from 23 games in the Championship.
At the time of his departure, they had conceded more goals (51) and scored the fewest (22) in the division.
Rooney started his managerial career at Derby, miraculously saving them from Championship relegation in the 2020/21 season.
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But he was unable to do the same the following campaign after they were hit with a huge 21-point deduction for going into administration.
Rooney then moved to the States and took charge of DC United before returning home to be Birmingham’s boss.
But he lasted just 15 games, winning just two, in a nightmare reign.
Despite his struggles in the dug-out, Rooney has said he’d be keen to give it another go.
He told the Stick to Football podcast that he would open the door to a return – with the right club.
And he even admitted he would accept a role as assistant manager.
He said: “I’d have no problem dropping into an Under-21 team or going in as a coach.
“I’m still young enough to learn and develop. Just having a good group of players who were at a [good] level.”
Blackburn struggles
Blackburn are currently tenth in the Championship, seven points off the all-important top six with four games to go.
Ismael has blamed injuries for his tough start to life in Lancashire, saying: “When you see the injury, we lost key players, massive players are missing for us.
“Ten players are missing. 10 players are missing. It’s just too much.
“It was really difficult for us to deal with that. At the same time, you are playing and need to get results and you’re losing players every game, every time.
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“We are not a dead team. We were a team with issues. We tried to deal with our issues. We tried to give our best.
“But as I say, you have to stay calm. Focus on your job. Try to find the solution, ride the storm. At some point, you know it will come back. But some ingredients have to be right.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
