Wayne Rooney has said that he has already received offers to manage clubs in both England and the United States.
The former England captain, who has played for both Manchester United and Everton , signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Major League Soccer side DC United a year ago.
And the 33-year-old has been in fine form since making the move across the pond, scoring 23 goals in 40 appearances for the Washington-based club.
After a successful debut campaign, Rooney has continued his strong displays this season – finding the net 11 times in 19 games in all competitions – and caught the eye earlier this week as he scored from his own half in the 1-0 win over Orlando City.
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With the forward approaching the end of his career, he admitted that he is taking the necessary steps to move into management and has already been approached by interested clubs.
“I’m taking the steps to get my badges completed and when I finish playing I’ll see what opportunities come up,” Rooney told Sky Sports News .
“There’s already offers which have been made, but at the minute I’m still a player and I want to enjoy playing, and then I’ll see which offers are right when I do finish.”
Asked if he had been contacted by clubs from England or the United States, he added: “Yeah, both.
“There’s an opportunity for me to go into management straight away and when I do hang my boots up, that decision will be made on what the ambition of the club is first of all, and what my ambitions are and what’s right for both myself and that particular team.”
(Image: SIPA USA/PA Images)
When he does decide to make the move into the dugout, Rooney will follow in footsteps of many of his former England team-mates, who are starting to make breakthroughs in management.
Scott Parker will take charge of Fulham in the Championship next season following their relegation from the Premier League, while former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is preparing for his second campaign as Rangers boss after a promising first season at Ibrox.
Meanwhile, Frank Lampard looks set to land the biggest job of the group, with the former England midfielder expected to replace Maurizio Sarri as Chelsea manager in the coming days.
And Rooney says that the success of his former teammates has given him encouragement in his dream to become a manager.
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He continued: “I think it’s brilliant for Frank, but also for any young English players, or players who’ve just finished playing, to see big teams like Chelsea giving Frank an opportunity to prove himself,.
“I’m sure at some stage over the next few years Steven (Gerrard) will get that opportunity at Liverpool.
“Scott Parker, John Terry at Aston Villa – it’s great for myself, who wants to go into management, to see these lads getting opportunities and it gives you hope that it will happen for you.”
