Wayne Rooney leaves DC United head coach role by mutual consent after missing out on MLS play-offs

DC United head coach Wayne Rooney has left his position by mutual consent after failing to lead his team to the MLS play-offs for a second consecutive season.

Former Derby County manager Rooney was appointed as a mid-season replacement for Argentinian Hernan Losada in July last year but could not prevent his team from finishing bottom of the league.

The former England captain enjoyed a dream managerial debut when his side scored twice in stoppage time to overturn a 1-0 deficit and beat Orlando City 2-1, but that was a rare highlight of a difficult first campaign.

His team would go on to win just once more in the 2022 season.

Rooney, who enjoyed two successful seasons at the club as a player from 2018 to 2019, oversaw an improvement in both performances and results in 2023 with striker Christian Benteke top scoring for the club with 14 goals.

However, a run of three consecutive defeats in late summer left the club out of touch with the top eight in the Eastern Conference and put their play-off hopes in jeopardy.

Rooney's side won their final game of the season on Saturday, 2-0 over New York City FC, but CF Montreal's 4-1 win over the Portland Timbers gave the Canadian side - ironically managed by Losada - the final post-season place at DC's expense.

Rooney spoke to the media to explain why he was leaving the club.

He said: "It's the right time. I've done everything I can to get this club into the play-offs. It's not a single thing that's happened. It's about timing."

Of a new role anywhere else, Rooney added: "I’ve nothing lined up."

DC United chief executive and co-chairman Jason Levien released his own statement on the decision.

He said: "We have spoken with Wayne and agreed it is best for us to part ways at this time. This decision creates the avenue for our next general manager to have the full opportunity to impart a new philosophy and structure onto our sporting operations, which begins with the critical identification of a head coach who will best align with this.

"We are grateful to Wayne Rooney for all he has done for our club and for soccer in the nation's capital, first as a DC United player and captain and most recently as our coach."

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media