Ex-Man Utd star tells Wayne Rooney to quit management after nightmare Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle spells | OneFootball

Former Manchester United star Patrice Evra has given his verdict on Wayne Rooney's management career.

Former Manchester United star and ex-teammate of Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra, has jokingly urged the former Derby County boss to step away from management following disastrous spells at Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle.

This revelation came during a conversation with former Red Devils midfielder Park Ji-sung on ShootforLoveYT via the Daily Mail., as the left-back joked, "That’s why they [Birmingham] got relegated."

The Blues suffered relegation to League One last season after a disastrous campaign in which they plummeted from sixth place under John Eustace to 20th in just 83 days following Wayne Rooney’s appointment. This dramatic decline cost Birmingham all their momentum, and despite Gary Rowett’s best efforts, they ultimately dropped into the third tier.

Rooney, 39, was handed another opportunity in the Championship this summer with Plymouth Argyle, but he fared little better. He managed just five wins in 25 games, with his team’s underlying performances proving dismal, ultimately leading to his sacking on New Year’s Eve.

Patrice Evra makes Wayne Rooney admission

Speaking to the former South Korea international, Evra made a brutal dig at his former compatriot.

"I said no please stop being a manager, it's not for you," said the Frenchman. "And he keeps going somewhere and get sacked again... and when he leaves, they win."

Birmingham have undoubtedly been a much-improved side since Rooney’s departure, with the Blues now sitting comfortably at the top of League One. Under new head coach Chris Davies, they have been playing some excellent football and appear destined for a return to the Championship, having suffered just three defeats all season and holding an 11-point lead over second place.

Plymouth, on the other hand, continue to struggle near the foot of the table. While the January-appointed Miron Muslic has overseen some impressive cup victories - most notably against Premier League leaders Liverpool - their league form remains poor, and they still look likely to face relegation.

Wayne Rooney appointment was strange from Plymouth Argyle

Although Rooney had prior Championship experience with Derby County and Birmingham, his record would have deterred most clubs.

Yet, that wasn’t the case for Argyle, with CEO Andrew Parkinson insisting he was "the best candidate."

Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, he added: “When we got down to our final candidates, he (Rooney) absolutely wanted to prove himself, [and] wanted to show he could do the job.

“He’d had a couple of difficult experiences at other clubs. But, at the time, we felt he was the best candidate. We didn’t do it for profile reasons at all.

Unfortunately, this decision backfired, with Simon Hallett and Andrew Parkinson’s gamble ultimately leading Plymouth back down to League One.

As for Rooney, this setback could mark the end of his managerial ambitions - at least for now. However, he has admitted that he hopes to find a way back into management in the future.