Wayne Rooney was sacked by Plymouth Argyle today after just 25 games in charge with the club in free fall and at the bottom of the Championship.
The former England and Manchester United captain, 39, returns to his wife and children in Cheshire after another disastrous spell in management ended after seven months.
In a statement he thanked the club for giving him the job in May, stating that Argyle would always have a “special place in my heart” and that he and the fans would have ‘memories we will share forever’.
But his failure at Plymouth raises questions over whether he will return to top-level performance, with broadcasters lining up to offer him a top pundit role after temporary stays at the BBC and Sky Sports in the past.
Rooney’s sacking came hours after a new video emerged which appeared to show him giving a mystery woman a tour of his £5,000-a-month flat after an evening at a local pub singing karaoke.
Last night he said it was “simply not true” that the companion went in alone, insisting that “a couple kindly gave me a lift home” and then showed them her penthouse near the town’s famous Hoe.
Wayne was appointed Plymouth manager in May, his third spell in the English second division after failures at Derby County and Birmingham City. He also managed in America after a brilliant playing career in which he was England’s best player for a generation.
Rooney only managed 25 games in all competitions at Argyle, and his team recorded just five wins. Plymouth have lost five of their last six games, including two 4-0 thrashings over the Christmas period.
And off the field there were concerns about his lifestyle, including from his wife Coleen, who was said to be concerned about how he spent many nights alone eating fast food, drinking and playing video games.
He reportedly struggled to adjust to life away from his wife and children. he had been He was seen drinking regularly in Plymouth’s pubs and bars, making new friends while enjoying quiz nights and also singing hits at karaoke events.
One local told MailOnline he had also gotten “stuck on pasties” in Devon.
Wayne Rooney has been sacked as Plymouth manager and they are the last club in the Championship
Rooney, 39, yesterday responded to speculation suggesting he had taken a mystery woman to his luxury apartment, saying a couple took him home and their son was there.
Rooney is seen sitting with a group of women during a night out at a pub.
Coleen Rooney had reportedly been concerned about Wayne’s ‘bachelor lifestyle’ hundreds of miles from home.
Plymouth currently sit bottom of the Championship with four wins this season, and the Pilgrims have suffered 13 league defeats.
“Plymouth Argyle can confirm that the club and manager Wayne Rooney have mutually agreed to part ways with immediate effect,” read a club statement.
‘Leaving the club with Rooney will be assistant coach Mike Phelan and first-team coach Simon Ireland.
“We would like to thank Wayne and his team for all their efforts and wish them the best for the future.”
Rooney said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the board of Plymouth Argyle Football Club, in particular Simon Hallett and Neil Dewsnip, with whom I shared excellent relationships.”
“Thank you also to all the staff who made me feel welcome and who make the club such a special place, to the players and fans for their efforts and support during my time as head coach and I wish them all the best for the future.
‘To the Green Army, thank you for making the games at Home Park so special, they are memories we will share forever.
‘I would also like to make a special mention of my coaching staff Kevin Nancekivell, Simon Ireland, Darryl Flahavan and Mike Phelan for their knowledge, dedication, help and support.
“Plymouth Argyle will always hold a special place in my heart and I will remain attentive and interested in their results.”
Rooney’s sacking will be a blow to the former Manchester United and England captain’s managerial ambitions.
His last game in charge turned out to be a 2-0 defeat against relegation rivals Oxford United on Sunday, a result that extended a nine-game winless streak.
The 39-year-old was hoping to bounce back from a disastrous 15-match spell as Birmingham manager last season, where he was eventually sacked on January 2.
Rooney’s sacking is the latest blow to the former Man United star’s managerial ambitions.
Rooney was appointed Plymouth manager in the summer but only oversaw five wins at the club.
Mike Phelan, left, recently joined as Rooney’s assistant in a bid to improve the club’s form.
Rooney has managed 178 games in his managerial career in roles at Derby County, DC United, Birmingham and Plymouth.
They have only achieved 45 victories, suffered defeats 87 times and drew 46.
Rooney has been living in a luxury rented apartment in the Devon town since taking over as head coach of the club this summer, as he looked to rebuild his faltering coaching career.
While their loft-style apartment is luxurious and comfortable, it is a far cry from Rooney’s six-bedroom £20 million Cheshire mansion, which features a billiards room, home cinema, indoor swimming pool, underground spa, a warehouse and a stable area. with space for 14 horses and a soccer field.
Outside of training camp, Rooney has been regularly seen on nights out on the town, even singing Ed Sheeran songs during a karaoke night at the Cider Press bar in August.
But his “single lifestyle” hundreds of miles from home has also caused concern for those close to him, including his wife Coleen.
Rooney responded on Monday to speculation suggesting he had brought a mystery woman to his luxury apartment, insisting it is “simply not true” that she went in alone.
In a post on Instagram, the star said: “I am aware of a video circulating online. The video shows a man and woman looking around my apartment.
“The couple kindly took me home and were there at the same time as my son, who was visiting. The images are from last summer.
“It’s upsetting that at least one newspaper has decided to edit the footage to make it look like a woman entered the apartment alone.
“That’s simply not true.”
Rooney yesterday responded to speculation suggesting he brought a mystery woman to his luxury apartment, insisting it is “simply not true” she went in alone.
Rooney was spotted earlier this year singing karaoke in a pub.
In the clip, viewed more than two million times after being shared on behind him.
The woman’s face cannot be seen in the video, which then shows Rooney inside the apartment, standing in front of a large television next to a bare stone wall.
Coleen, 38, recently spent a month in the I’m A Celeb jungle, where she finished second to McFly’s Danny Jones.
While she was in the Australian jungle, her four children lived with her parents due to Wayne’s work commitments.
A customer at a bar near Wayne’s rented house in the city previously told MailOnline that he “comes in quite often for a few drinks”, adding: “He’s definitely put on some weight since he’s been here, maybe he’s staying ‘caught in the pasties.’
Isolated from his Merseyside roots and after a slow start in a high-pressure job, since arriving in the summer, Rooney has been regularly seen enjoying nights out in the city’s bars and clubs, including quiz nights and nights. karaoke singing at the top of his lungs his favorite Ed Sheeran. hits including Shape of You.
A video posted on social media shows Rooney urging the crowd to “make a fucking noise, baby.”