Wayne Rooney says he would walk to Manchester City if Pep Guardiola asked him to become his assistant.
Rooney became Manchester United’s record scorer during 13 years at Old Trafford from 2004, scoring 253 goals in 559 appearances for the Red Devils.
The former England captain was linked with a move to City after handing in a transfer request at United in 2010.
Rooney eventually patched up his differences with manager Sir Alex Ferguson and stayed at Old Trafford for another seven years.
But, less than two months after his 15-game spell as Birmingham manager came to an end, the 38-year-old admits he would be open to the idea of working on the blue side of Manchester.
“It depends (on whether I’d ever be an assistant) – if Pep Guardiola comes in and asks me to be his assistant, you’d walk there,” Rooney told the Stick to Football podcast.
“You see what (Mikel) Arteta is doing now (at Arsenal) and I strongly believe a lot of that is from learning what Guardiola was doing, and so it depends on what the situation is.
“For me, the best manager is Pep and you look at how he adapts – how they (City) are playing now is not the same as how they were playing four years ago.
“He keeps making these subtle changes and then you see everyone else trying to do the same. They also work harder than anyone else.”
City, the English, European and FIFA World Club Cup champions, are 12 points better off in the Premier League than sixth-placed United, and Rooney says it is “frustrating” watching his former team under Erik ten Hag.
He said: “There’s talent in there. But I just think there’s a mindset that needs to change.
“You watch some games and I think, ‘Really good’. But then all of a sudden it’s like a switch that’s been flicked.
“They can go from being really good to really bad. There’s a lack of consistency.”
Rooney has been linked to a possible switch to boxing, with the self-confessed fight fan confirming there have been talks to get him in the ring.
He also expressed an interest in becoming a lawyer during a recent media interview, saying he had applied to Nottingham University to study criminal law when he was at Derby.
Rooney laughed on the podcast when recalling telling lawyers what to ask during his wife Coleen’s ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel trial with Rebekah Vardy in 2022.
But Rooney insists his focus is firmly on returning to management after spells at Derby, Major League Soccer side DC United and Birmingham.
“It’s all experience – I’m only 38, I’ve had three managerial jobs but I’ve got quite a bit of experience to lean on,” said Rooney.
“If you look at the three clubs I’ve managed, going in at Derby under their circumstances in administration, DC United who were bottom of the league when I went over there, and now Birmingham, who over the past 10 years have been a mess.
“I want to focus on getting back into management. The main thing for me is to completely cut out what I’ve done as a player and almost start again as a manager.
“Of course, my playing experience will help me, but I’m right at the bottom from a managerial point of view, and I want to work my way up.
“I’m not relying on what I’ve done as a player to get me into places that I shouldn’t be.
“I want to get back into managing and I want to prove myself – whether that’s League Two, League One or Championship.”
Bompastor promises more hard yards after Chelsea thrash Feyenoord
Sonia Bompastor has promised there is more hard work to come for her Chelsea players after they readied themselves for the Women's Super League season with a 9-0 hammering of Feyenoord.
Bompastor marked her first match at Kingsmeadow in fantastic fashion on Saturday, with the WSL champions proving far too good for their Dutch opponents.
Sandy Baltimore and Mayra Ramirez struck inside the opening 10 minutes, with Feyenoord's Celainy Obispo subsequently seeing red.
Chelsea were 4-0 up by the break thanks to finishes from Sjoeke Nusken and Wieke Kaptein, with Millie Bright heading home a fifth after the restart.
Substitute Aggie Beever-Jones netted a second-half hat-trick, with Maika Hamano also getting in on the act in a resounding victory.
Chelsea face Aston Villa in their WSL opener on September 20, and former Lyon coach Bompastor says the task is now to be fully prepared for that fixture.
"I can't wait to get to that moment, only two weeks now," she said.
"We are really excited to get to that moment, but we still have two weeks to work and we’ll make sure we work really hard to be ready for that first game.
"We had two main goals – the first one was defensively, we wanted to have high pressure, and be strong in transition. With the ball, I wanted them to play in a nice way, in an attacking style, so with nine goals, it was definitely good and it’s what we had been working on in training.
"I really liked the stadium, the atmosphere. It’s really cool, especially when you win and score a lot of goals. I hope all the games this season, they’ll have the same fun. We’ll keep working really hard to make sure they come and enjoy our games."
Ancelotti to continue coaching 'until the fire dies down'
Carlo Ancelotti has no plans to call time on his illustrious coaching career, saying he will only leave the sport when he no longer feels nervous ahead of games.
Ancelotti is one of the most decorated coaches in European football history, with his five Champions League titles as a manager being a competition record.
The fifth of those triumphs came with Real Madrid in June as they beat Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley Stadium, having progressed through a series of dramatic ties earlier in the tournament.
Los Blancos overcame Manchester City on penalties in the quarter-finals despite facing 33 shots on their goal in the second leg, a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
They then salvaged victory from the jaws of defeat in the last four as Joselu scored twice – in the 88th and 91st minutes – to stun Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ancelotti so often appears an island of calm amid the chaos, but the Italian insists he still gets nervous ahead of big games and will do so until the day he retires.
"A life without pressure or a little stress does not exist. Too much stress, no, but a little is fuel. The day I don't have excitement before a match is the day I have to stop," he said at the Mexico Siglo XXI event.
"Before a match there is worry, there is a negative feeling thinking that it will not go well, that they will score a goal… When the match starts, everything stops.
"So, you have to look for calm to handle the situations of the game. I will continue coaching until the fire I have for football dies down.
"Some great things have happened in my life, some difficult moments. My life has been normal. I have been lucky to have a job that is my passion. I am grateful to football for giving me that opportunity.
"I still get nervous before a match, I feel pressure, and as long as that doesn't change I will continue here. I see myself coaching for a long time, yes."
Ancelotti is known for involving his big-name players in his decision-making, and he says that collaborative approach has been key to his success.
"It is very difficult to explain what a leader should be like. It is much more important to convince than to impose your opinion on them," he added.
"A leader must have the ability to listen to those who work with you. They can always give you ideas that can help you.
"It is important to listen and not think that you know everything because you are the boss. You can always learn."
T&T blanked 4-0 by Honduras as Nicaragua edge French Guiana in League A
Trinidad and Tobago started life without Angus Eve on a losing note as they were thumped 4-0 by Honduras in their opening Concacaf Nations League Group B League A contest in Tegucigalpa on Friday.
The result dealt and early blow to the Soca Warriors and interim head coach Derek King, as they are the group’s early cellar dwellers.
Honduras, with the win, assume pole position on three points, same as Nicaragua, who edged French Guiana 1-0, while Jamaica and Cuba both have a point from their goalless stalemate. Only the top two teams from the group will progress to the quarterfinals, while the bottom-placed team will be relegated to League B.
The tournament also determines which national teams qualify for the next edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Honduras vs. Trinidad and Tobago
After struggling to break down Trinidad and Tobago’s defence early, Honduras eventually found the go-ahead goal when Alexander Lopez drove in a right-footer from outside the box.
Kevin Arriaga also showed his class with a well-struck right-footer in the 45+2 minute to put Honduras 2-0 up at the break.
Try as they did, Trinidad and Tobago had no response to Honduras in a hostile environment and soon found themselves further behind in the 54th minute. This, as Edwin Rodriguez was allowed too much space deep inside the 18-yard box to fire home from Luis Palma’s pass.
The win was then capped by David Ruiz, who slotted home in the 86th minute.
French Guiana vs. Nicaragua
The Central Americans extended their unbeaten run in the Concacaf Nations League to 13 matches by taking three points off host French Guiana at Stade Municipal Dr. Edmard Lama.
Both teams gave as good as they got in the attacking third, but it was Nicaragua that got the all-important strike through Widman Talavera in the 90+5 minute to secure the three points.
Group B action will resume on Tuesday, starting with Cuba facing Nicaragua, while Trinidad and Tobago will host French Guiana, and Jamaica will visit Honduras to close out the day.
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