There has been huge media interest in the Pilgrims since Manchester United’s record goalscorer was appointed as their head coach
The explosion of media interest in Plymouth Argyle since the appointment of Wayne Rooney as their new head coach is just a sign of things to come.
Even as a newly-promoted Championship club last season, the Pilgrims largely went under the radar outside of Devon and Cornwall as the EFL’s most south-westerly outpost. That is all about to change now due to the high profile of their new 38-year-old boss.
One of England’s greatest-ever players, and it is no exaggeration at all to say that, will inevitably come under an intense spotlight, whether Argyle are playing at Home Park or around the country.
Naturally, he is accustomed to the attention he has had since making his Everton debut at the age of sixteen, but for Argyle, who has spent the majority of the previous 20 years in either League One or League Two, it will be a novel experience.
‘Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth’ will be the new national nickname for the Green Army, whether they like it or not—which is almost definitely the case. To it some well-informed observers may add ‘Argyle’.In an interview with Argyle TV last week, Simon Hallett, the club’s owner and chairman, was told precisely that. He claimed that there was a small but significant distinction, and that it was trulyWayne Rooney
But because of the media circus that Rooney is expected to continue, any narrative about Manchester United will almost always center around the club’s record goalscorer. We can anticipate hearing constantly from pundits—some good, some not so good—on a range of platforms about how they see the head coach of the Pilgrims doing and their likely strong opinions.
Rooney should have the opportunity to take in the sights and sounds of living and working in the southwest. With so much to offer, Plymouth is a great spot to unwind and take in the summertime sun or delicious cuisine.
With Rooney one of their studio guests, Gary Lineker began the broadcast of the showpiece event by asking him about taking charge of the Pilgrims. It was as Lineker acknowledged not the sort of question he had been expecting to ask.
Rooney will be part of the BBC’s team of pundits for a few games during the upcoming Euro 2024 in Germany, so more references to Argyle can be expected.
Of course, Rooney is not the first high-profile former England international to have been appointed by Argyle as their manager. Peter Shilton, still the country’s most capped player, arrived at Home Park in 1992 and stayed until 1995.
That was a very different time, though, before the internet and social media, and when football was not the all-consuming obsession it has become to so many. Rooney will have much more media scrutiny than Shilton had to deal with.
Argyle under Rooney will be the subject of all sorts of newspaper articles, website stories, TV and radio interviews, podcasts, blogs and Youtube videos.
For example, Hallett was invited onto national radio station TalkSPORT last week to talk to Jim White and Simon Jordan, the former Crystal Palace owner and chairman, about the appointment of Rooney, which came in for criticism from the latter.
Also, Argyle can expect to feature regularly in live Sky Sports match broadcasts next season, especially as under their new deal with the EFL they will show five Championship games per weekend.
In my experience of 27 years reporting on Argyle through good and bad times, national journalists have rarely ventured so far south-west to attend games, or pre-match Press conferences. There was not the level of interest to warrant that.
Typically last season, a pre-match Presser on a Thursday lunchtime before a Saturday fixture would see just myself, someone from BBC Radio Devon – usually Alan Richardson – and Ross Reid, of South West Sports News, ask questions of the manager/head coach.
I would imagine the three of us will be joined by a few more attendees from now on, especially in the early days of Rooney’s tenure and as he sets about stamping his mark on Argyle, not only with new players but his playing style too.
Post-match Press conferences after away games will be very different to. In the past, it has usually only been a Radio Devon reporter and myself who have asked questions of the Argyle manager.
When it comes to major Championship clubs, you always know that the majority of the press room journalists don’t really care what the Pilgrims’ manager has to say, especially if they haven’t seen the home manager yet and are waiting to do so.
That will change now. There will be a lot of interest from reporters in Rooney’s views not only on the match but broader football topics as well, particularly surrounding Manchester United and England.
There has been no date set so far by Argyle for an introductory Press conference with Rooney, which is when those of us in the local media will get the chance to speak to him for the first time as the Pilgrims’ boss.
I did have the opportunity to ask Rooney a couple of questions after Birmingham City’s 3-3 draw with Argyle at Home Park two days before last Christmas and was impressed with how approachable he was and the thought he put into his answers.
To me, Rooney as a player had always appeared uncomfortable when carrying out TV interviews as England captain, and in other similar situations.
When he visited Home Park’s recently-opened Press Conference Room following Birmingham’s draw with Argyle, he came across completely differently
Even despite the disappointment of seeing his 10-man side lose a 3-1 lead to only pick up a point, he spoke in a calm, measured tone, gave some interesting insights and did so while making eye contact with whoever asked a question, rather than from side to side or downwards.
We all shook his hand as he left, and my opinion of him from a journalist’s perspective definitely changed as a result of that short conversation we had with him. I look forward to getting to know him better as time goes on.
As with any manager/head coach, Rooney’s time at Argyle will be dictated by the success of otherwise of the team’s results but it is going to be a significant period in the club’s history whatever happens with someone of his worldwide fame in charge.
Leave a Reply