Plymouth Argyle: Simon Hallett makes surprise Wayne Rooney "status" admission and drops transfer claim | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle chairman Simon Hallett has made a surprise admission regarding the recent appointment of Wayne Rooney.

The Devon-based outfit are preparing for a second successive season of Championship football after narrowly escaping an immediate return to League One on the final day of the season.

Argyle were in an extremely stable position prior to their return to the second tier for the first time since 2010 but their first experiences of the division since then proved rather unsettling from Christmas onwards as Steven Schumacher departed to join Stoke City before Ian Foster endured a short, but far from sweet spell in charge at Home Park, with director of football Neil Dewsnip taking interim charge on two separate occasions.

However, the appointment of Rooney so early in the off-season gives the Green Army ample time to prepare for a season of progression in the division and their long-term aims.

Simon Hallet makes surprise Wayne Rooney admission

Given the record Rooney held from his most recent stint at Birmingham City - who were eventually relegated on the final day of the season due to Plymouth's victory over Hull City - the appointment on May 25th was met with a mixed reaction across social media.

However, the aforementioned Hallett now believes supporters are now on side when it comes to the appointment in an interview with Plymouth Live, as well as making a surprise admission regarding the 38-year-old's stature in English football.

He said: "I certainly get the sense people are getting behind it. I think the reason is we have explained what the thinking was."

"I think the immediate reaction was 'Here's a guy who failed in his last appointment, they are just reaching out and grabbing a celebrity', and that was anything but the truth."

"Wayne's celebrity status, if anything, was a negative," the Argyle chairman claimed. "What was positive about him is his ability to relate to people - to players, to staff, to sponsors, and so on. I think the cultural fit with Wayne was the closest of all the candidates."

Wayne Rooney's stature could influence Plymouth Argyle's transfer plans

Further into the interview, Hallett referenced how having a head coach with significant pedigree could influence the club positively, particularly in the transfer market.

Argyle have showcased their ability to make shrewd transfers, particularly in the Championship, as their budget is at a completely different end of the spectrum to some of their divisional rivals, as well as geographical factors often swaying the thought process of those on transfer shortlists.

"It's kind of a constant struggle as an underdog and I think we like that. Wayne was hired because we thought he was the best candidate to help us win football matches," he added.

"The attention that comes with that, I think we are going to have to find ways of turning it to our advantage. Certainly, it comes with costs as well as benefits, absolutely no question."

The 68-year-old concluded: "Wayne's status as a celebrity is one thing, but his status as one of the dominant footballers of his generation is another, and I think that is something we will definitely be able to turn to our advantage in terms of attracting players down here, which is not always easy."

Some of Plymouth's highly-rated midfielders and attacking outlets, such as Morgan Whittaker, who was sold to Swansea City from Derby County under Rooney's management at Pride Park, could also take inspiration from Birmingham City's Jordan James, who referenced the help the former Manchester United man gave him in B9, despite a run of just two wins in 15 games.

“He has helped me a lot already in a month. It’s brilliant under a manager who has played a lot of games at the top level. That’s where I want to get to so to be able to learn from him, all I can do is listen," the Welsh international stated back in November.

Wayne Rooney could turn his fortunes around at Home Park

Given Plymouth's philosophy of giving young, homegrown managers an opportunity, the move to Home Park could be the ideal scenario for Rooney to turn the tide of his managerial career around after turbulent spells in the West Midlands and at MLS outfit, D.C United.

No doubt, the Liverpudlian will feel he has a point to prove after claiming he wasn't given an adequate amount of time in charge at his previous club, and that beds in with Plymouth's status as a Championship underdog.

All eyes will be on Rooney, who will be hoping for a fast start to ease the concern of any remaining doubters, with the season starting on August 10th.