Wayne Rooney SENT OFF as furious Man Utd legend blasts referee before 97th-minute drama
Wayne Rooney experienced a rollercoaster of emotions on Saturday, firstly being sent off as manager of Plymouth Argyle before his side scored a 97th minute winner to beat Blackburn Rovers
by Nathan Ridley · The MirrorA furious Wayne Rooney was sent off amid the late drama in Plymouth Argyle's dramatic 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers.
Rooney, 38, now manages Championship side Plymouth, having taken charge in June. The Manchester United legend's reign got off to a nightmare start but Argyle have now won three of their last five league games after a dramatic finish against Blackburn.
Having taken the lead inside the opening quarter of an hour through striker Michael Obafemi, Rooney's side were left gutted in the 86th minute when Blackburn's Joe Rankin-Costello slotted home an equaliser.
Plymouth, however, were adamant that the goal shouldn't have stood, vehemently appealing for a foul in the build-up. Rooney was seething on the touchline, making his feelings clear to fourth official Jacob Miles.
Referee James Linington felt that the former England captain had overstepped the mark and showed Rooney a red card, sending him to the stands for the nail-biting closing stages of the Championship encounter. Rooney reluctantly made his way down the Home Park tunnel but he'd be back celebrating on the pitch just over 10 minutes later.
Deep into injury time, Plymouth winger Morgan Whittaker struck to snatch all three points for Argyle and move them up to 14th in the table. After the final whistle, Rooney returned to the pitch to celebrate with his players and staff.
The 38-year-old is working hard to reestablish his managerial reputation after being sacked by Birmingham City in January, having been given just 15 games in charge. Rooney previously managed DC United in the USA after leaving Derby County, the first club he coached, in 2022.
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All of Plymouth's league wins have come at home; beating high-flying Sunderland, relegated Luton Town and now Blackburn to boost the mood in Devon. Rooney's ultimate ambition to manager either United or his boyhood club, Everton. "Managing Manchester United or Everton is the aim, these big jobs are where you want to get to," Rooney told BBC Sport earlier this year.
"But it's a process I have got to go through the steps and get myself back on track. I want to get myself back into management to make sure in the next 10 years I'm hopefully in a position to go into one of the big jobs."
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