Former Hull City manager Mike Phelan has been reunited with his former Manchester United colleague Wayne Rooney at Plymouth Argyle.
Phelan served as an assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson in the final years of his Manchester United reign, coaching Rooney during his time as a free-scoring frontman at Old Trafford.
The pair have now been reunited, with Phelan joining Plymouth to assist Rooney in his role as head coach of the Pilgrims. Phelan has replaced Pete Shuttleworth, who has moved on for personal reasons.
Rooney said: “I am sad to see Pete leave the club. He is someone I have worked with very closely throughout my managerial career having first met at Derby County and he has also been a close friend.
Mike Phelan managed Hull City during the 2016/17 season.Mike Phelan managed Hull City during the 2016/17 season.
Mike Phelan managed Hull City during the 2016/17 season. | Gareth Copley/Getty Images
“Pete has some personal matters going on which is where his focus needs to be and we all completely respect that and have mutually decided to part ways.
“Mike is someone I know well having worked with him when I was a player at Manchester United and he has vast experience at the highest level of football. I am really pleased to bring him to Argyle and look forward to seeing him get to work immediately.”
Phelan has spent most of his coaching career in an assistant, but did have a brief spell as manager of Hull in the 2016/17 season. The 62-year-old had been part of Steve Bruce’s backroom team and took the job on himself when Bruce left.
He also counts the likes of Blackpool and Norwich City among his former employers.
Plymouth’s director of football Neil Dewsnip said “I want to thank Pete for all his support and efforts since joining Argyle in the summer.
“We are thrilled to bring in someone of Mike’s calibre so quickly as a replacement. He is one of the most experienced coaches around having worked with some of the best players in the world and obviously has a relationship with Wayne already from their time together at Manchester United.
“We look forward to seeing his work have an immediate impact on the group and hope his experience will provide the perfect support to Wayne as we head into a very busy period of fixtures.”