Wayne Rooney should snub a career in television punditry and become a manager, according to his former England boss Roy Hodgson.
Rooney, 32, impressed on Monday Night Football earlier in the week but Hodgson feels too many English footballers are falling out of the game.
The 70-year-old Crystal Palace manager is urging Rooney to lead by example and avoid sitting on the sofa where his expertise and leadership skills would be wasted.
‘I am not surprised,’ Hodgson said on Rooney’s successful attempt at TV punditry. ‘Wayne is good at articulating his thoughts on the game and he does have a good knowledge of the game.
‘You have got to hope English football is telling people like himself, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and John Terry - to name four stars I worked with during my England time - they do stay in football.
‘We want them to stay to be coaches and managers. Gary Neville was excellent as a coach and I would like to see him back on the training field with players.
‘These guys have got a lot to offer and it’s good, if you like, to take on the challenge of doing it, because they’ll have a lot of other opportunities.
‘So they’ll have to choose between putting themselves in this cauldron, where success is by no means guaranteed and criticism is waiting to be piled on in any moment of time.
‘Hopefully they take on that route, as the younger players they take on will benefit enormously from their knowledge and experience.’
On Rooney having the right characteristics to be a top coach, Hodgson continued: ‘He can inspire. Everything he’s done in the game — I think it’s enough for him to walk on the field in a training kit to inspire people. I am sure he can.’
Rooney himself said on Friday in a Daily Telegraph interview: ‘The main thing I want to have a go at is management. I would love to stay at Everton in a coaching role or hopefully manager one day. It is something I want to do — to stay involved.’
Meanwhile, ahead of Palace’s trip to Everton on Saturday, Hodgson feels his players will find it insulting when they hear critics say they have no chance without Wilfried Zaha.
‘I just think it’s a stupid comment and a comment from people who obviously don’t realise what playing at Premier League level in a football team is about,’ Hodgson said.
‘I think I’d be a bit disappointed to hear that (if I was a player). “Here I am doing my job every week, working hard and perhaps doing a very good job and all you can say is Palace are a one-man team”.’
ukrainec
0
He's not a very fluent speaker is he , he stutters and falls over his words he was terrible, haven't a clue how anyone could be impressed with that
face44
0
Like Giggs while you might respect their playing career how can you respect them as your boss when you consider their off field behaviour?
zusammae
0
If he's part of a clique they'll look after him.
sinecure
0
Management's gain would be village idiot level insight and analysis' loss.
UUCall
0
What's great about Wayne Rooney.....No A levels, Degrees Etc...No University etc....but has over £80 million in the Bank.... cos of playing Football (working).....What does that tell you.
aozao
0
He will not make a good manager or tv pundit... He doesnt have a personality...
bom17
1
I agrre with mr hudson because our legend footballer need to keep the code of the ball mobile the existence and continuation of thee past and present style should not fade away by the new generatiob of coaching forgetting how people won titles with the old system of playing they need to be there to always help the new generation to remember the old style for comparison
Fedora
1
Would be a derby of the ages if both Gerard and Rooney become managers of their respective clubs.
negative
0
You can start Saturday if want
basically
1
He'll probably become their Striker coach when he retires or becomes a player coach
Pearler
0
Love Rooney to become a manager and start coming out with his own Carvalhal type quotes. “Erm erm ..we are looking to score more erm often erm as my mate erm said to his dealer erm”
negative
0
He'll join up as an attacking coach and be another untouchable like Ferguson and Unsworth. Doesn't matter who the manager is they'll always be given work at the club if they want it.
Loudests
0
Rooney would be a great no-nonsense coach, imo.
RohanSahdev
5
Rooney hasn't the brains to be a good manager
That was so stupid. As you can see by the amount of dislikes.
iamsahilyadav
0
first he has to focus on his career
lukos
0
Rooney hasn't the brains to be a good manager
nickey-p
0
zaha has given you more points that he is not on the pitches,he makes penalties happen,he assists,he scores,he dribbles,he is d play maker of that team.now that he is gone who will be making the penalty that you guys like to use and score.let's see how you will face off without him against Everton prove it
nickey-p
0
palace is really a one man team face it old man.can u recall when you started without zaha u lost all of your matches not even a draw you had but immediately he came on you beat the big chelsea and won and drew so many matches.
Yeaablnsu
0
As a lot of former players have found out and been found out.., talking a good game is one thing but actually delivering that expertise under the pressure of being a top flight manager is a whole different ball game.
nice one mate....!!!!!!!
Yeaablnsu
2
it's easy to criticize for sure...but can they manage a team...I don't think so...then they should keep their mouths shut... !!!!!!
citizeno
2
As a lot of former players have found out and been found out.., talking a good game is one thing but actually delivering that expertise under the pressure of being a top flight manager is a whole different ball game.