D.C. United has mutually agreed to part ways with head coach Wayne Rooney after the team failed to make the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs. This is the fourth consecutive season, and second under Rooney, that United hasn’t clinched a playoff spot.
The club and Rooney confirmed the news following D.C. United’s last game of the regular season. D.C. got a 2-0 win over the New York City FC, but that wasn’t enough to finish higher than No. 9 in the Eastern Conference.
“I think it’s just the right time,” said Rooney. “I’ve done everything I can to try and get the club into the playoffs. It’s not been a single thing that has happened. It’s about timing in your career. I’ve really enjoyed my time here.”
According to Rooney, he believes it is the “right time” for him to return to England. He added that he previously had offers to work in his home country but decided to stay with D.C. United in hopes of helping them make the playoffs.
Wayne Rooney initially spent two years with D.C. United as a player, scoring 25 goals in 52 matches in 2018 and 2019. He returned to the club as a head coach in the summer of 2022 after a stint with Championship side Derby County. In 53 games in charge of D.C., Rooney oversaw 14 wins, 14 draws, and 25 losses.
