Exclusive: Pundit defends Plymouth Argyle over Wayne Rooney decision - he was a "great appointment" | OneFootball

The Sky Sports pundit has agreed with Plymouth CEO Andrew Parkinson in his reasons for the call

Plymouth Argyle CEO Andrew Parkinson has recently defended the managerial appointment of Wayne Rooney earlier this season.

The former Manchester United forward was handed the job at the beginning of this season, but picking up just four wins in 23 Championship matches saw him depart at the end of December.

The Pilgrims now find themselves at the base of the Championship table, with relegation looking more likely with each passing week.

Lee Hendrie defends Plymouth Argyle’s appointment of Wayne Rooney

FLW asked Sky Sports pundit and former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie for his thoughts on Parkinson’s comments.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Hendrie said: “Plymouth’s CEO suggested that Wayne Rooney was the best candidate when he was appointed - does it surprise me? No, not really.

“I think, at the time, I felt that Wayne’s obviously wanted to continue in his managerial career, which he did under the Plymouth ownership.

“And yes, you know, Wayne comes with a massive expectation as it's not and like you just turn up and you're playing against Plymouth, you've got the Rooney factor that's always been around his career and obviously his managerial career.

“But I do think it was, at the time, I think it was a great appointment for the football club.

“Unfortunately, it just didn't work out for Wayne as has been that way at Birmingham City when he went in there.

“There's timing, and sometimes I think you have to look at what he did at Derby, which I thought was excellent. Maybe some people would have said it was a free hit, but he’s still got to manage them players, and that's the thing.

“I do feel that it was right time for him when he was going into Plymouth.”

Wayne Rooney appointment may have cost Plymouth Argyle their position in the Championship next season

The Plymouth CEO provided his comments to the Business of Sport podcast, which covered a wide range of topics about the Pilgrims this season, with Rooney’s appointment understandably high on the list.

Parkinson claimed that Rooney emerged as the best choice from a 30-strong shortlist of potential candidates.

“When we got down to our final candidates, he absolutely wanted to prove himself, wanted to show he could do the job,” Parkinson said. “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.”

While Rooney obviously has plenty of experience in football from his career as one of the best players in the world, it’s difficult to move away from his record as a manager.

Having had a relatively disastrous spell with Birmingham City the season before, contributing to their relegation to League One – as looks to be the case again with Plymouth this time around – some fans will find it difficult to accept his name played no role in the decision.

Rooney is certainly a determined character, with a clear burning desire to kick on in his coaching career. In managerial terms, he is still very young and there’s plenty of time for it to work out.

As Hendrie states, timing is everything for a manager and, although Parkinson may have felt Rooney was the best candidate when appointed, it just wasn’t the right time, or the right fit, in reality.

The right fit may well come along, but it will likely be difficult for any fanbase to believe his profile hasn’t played a role in any upcoming Rooney appointment, given the recent track record he’s picked up.