Wayne Rooney is set to return to Manchester United, with the club legend set to feature in a charity match next month.
The ex-England international was named as Plymouth Argyle manager over the summer and he has hopes of leading the club to the top half of the Championship. However, his side were thumped 4-0 in their first match although recovered to draw their second game.
Rooney will be hoping to see improvement from his squad in the next few weeks before he turns his attention to competing in Bobby Robson’s Legends charity match in September, where he will represent United against Celtic.
The event has announced two star-studded lineups, with several of Rooney’s former team-mates also set to feature at Old Trafford.
Antonio Valencia, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and Dimitar Berbatov are among those who will play for United. Fellow Championship boss Michael Carrick and United first-team coach Darren Fletcher will also take to the pitch on 7 September.
Rooney’s return to the Theatre of Dreams is expected to draw in a mammoth crowd next month, with United fans far and wide regarding the ex-forward as one of the greatest players to represent the club and compete in the Premier League.
The former Derby County manager made 559 appearances for the Red Devils, becoming the club’s all-time top scorer with 253 goals – snatching the record from Sir Bobby Charlton (249).
United and Celtic do not have a long-lasting history, facing off just four times at a competitive level. They clashed four times between 2006 and 2008, with the quartet of matches all coming in the Champions League. However, with such a wealth of talent to have come through their ranks, they stand to be a tough opponent for the United Legends team.
Money raised from the event will be donated to the Manchester United Foundation, a charity that works with young people in the Greater Manchester area.
It remains to be seen what positions Rooney and Carrick, manager of Middlesbrough, will be in the table when they head to Old Trafford. There are still plenty of matches to be played in the Championship before the charity match. Plymouth and Boro are set to clash in December and again in April 2025.