Mike Phelan Appointed Assistant Head Coach at Plymouth Argyle Under Wayne Rooney

Mike Phelan, previously an assistant manager at Manchester United, has been named Wayne Rooney’s new assistant head coach for Plymouth Argyle. Phelan, aged 62, who coached at Old Trafford for a total of nine years across two periods, takes over from Pete Shuttleworth, whose departure from the club was by mutual consent. In a statement published on Plymouth’s website, Rooney commented, “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.” He added, “I am really pleased to bring him to Argyle and look forward to seeing him get to work immediately.” This appointment follows a challenging period for Argyle, which has seen them secure only one victory in their last nine games. The team has allowed 10 goals in their two most recent fixtures, suffering a 6-1 loss against Norwich City and a 4-0 defeat to Bristol City. Their scheduled match on Saturday against Oxford United was postponed because of Storm Darragh, and other league results have placed the Pilgrims in third-to-last position in the Championship standings. Shuttleworth, 45, had been named Rooney’s second-in-command in June and had supported the former England captain across his entire managerial career, including stints at Birmingham City, DC United, and Derby County. Additionally, Shuttleworth served as a coach for the Republic of Ireland, being present in the dugout during their Uefa Nations League encounter against England at Wembley last month. Rooney further stated, “I am sad to see Pete leave the club. 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.” He continued, “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 collaborated with Rooney during his playing tenure at Manchester United, contributing to the Red Devils’ coaching staff for three Premier League titles, a Fifa Club World Cup, two League Cups, and two Champions League finals. His initial period at Old Trafford concluded with Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, but he rejoined the club in 2018 to assist Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, remaining until 2022. Neil Dewsnip, Argyle’s director of football, remarked, “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.” Dewsnip further stated, “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.” The connection between Rooney and Phelan dates back to their shared time at Manchester United, where they both served under Sir Alex Ferguson. The appointment of Mike Phelan indicates strong support for Rooney in his role at Home Park from Plymouth Argyle. The ex-England captain has faced growing pressure recently due to a decline in team performance. The Pilgrims currently hold the poorest away record in the second tier, and Rooney expressed significant criticism of his team following their two most recent defeats, describing that week as the most challenging of his managerial career. Although Phelan is expected to contribute valuable experience to the training ground, he is unable to address the fitness issues of some of Argyle’s key players. Rooney is currently missing influential forwards like Morgan Whittaker, Ibrahim Cissoko, and Muhamed Tijani until the New Year, and captain Joe Edwards is also unavailable due to injury. Argyle supporters anticipate that the club’s support will extend to the upcoming transfer window next month, as the team urgently requires offensive reinforcements to aid their fight against relegation.