"Get his hands dirty" - Alan Shearer issues honest view on Wayne Rooney at Plymouth Argyle | OneFootball

Alan Shearer has given his verdict on Wayne Rooney taking the Plymouth Argyle job.

Pundit Alan Shearer has praised Wayne Rooney for having the courage to take the Plymouth Argyle job, and he admitted he is hoping he will be a success at Home Park.

After spells with Derby County and DC United, Rooney endured a disappointing three-month stint at Birmingham City last season, during which he won just two of his 15 games in charge.

The Blues were in the play-off places when they made the controversial decision to replace John Eustace with Rooney in October, but he was sacked in January with the club sitting just above the relegation zone.

Eyebrows were raised when Plymouth gave Rooney another chance in Championship management in May, and the 38-year-old's reign got off to the worst possible start as his side were beaten 4-0 at Sheffield Wednesday on the opening weekend.

However, the Pilgrims have improved significantly since then, and they secured their first league win of the season on Saturday with a 3-2 victory over previous league leaders Sunderland.

Joe Edwards' injury-time winner sparked wild scenes of celebration among Rooney and his coaching staff, as well as in the stands, and the result moved Argyle up to 16th in the table.

Alan Shearer makes Wayne Rooney, Plymouth Argyle claim

Shearer praised Rooney for his brave decision to return to management with Plymouth after his previous setbacks, and he revealed that he hopes the win over Sunderland will be a turning point for the former England international.

"I saw the reaction from Wayne and his coaching staff on the touchline when Plymouth got their winning goal versus Sunderland. I was delighted for him because I was sat watching the scores come through for Match of the Day, and I’d seen Sunderland get it back to 2-2. But then the winning goal came so late on that you knew Plymouth had just won it," Shearer said, quoted by The Mirror.

"I'm pleased for Wayne because he's shown some courage to go down to Plymouth and take that job on, and I really hope he can be a success.

"You saw what it meant to him and his coaching staff when the goal went in, and they were able to win the game against a team that had won their previous four games. It was a big result for Plymouth, and I hope they can take a lot from that."

"I'm really impressed with how Wayne wants to stay in football. He had his time at Derby, Birmingham and went back over to DC United as well. It takes a lot of courage. He loves coaching, managing and, because of his status as a player, it'd have been easy for him to sit back and do the job I'm doing in TV," Shearer continued.

"I’m sure he’d have had plenty of opportunities to do so. However, he still wants to go and get his hands dirty on the touchline. It's not an easy job to go all the way down to Plymouth, leave the family once again, so I admire him for doing it."

Plymouth Argyle supporters should be encouraged by recent form

It was difficult not to fear the worst for Plymouth after their comprehensive opening day defeat at Hillsborough, but there have been positive signs for the Pilgrims in recent weeks.

Argyle picked up a point at QPR last month despite ending the game with nine men, proving that the players are fighting for Rooney, and it was an outstanding result on Saturday against a Sunderland side that had previously won their first four games.

Rooney did plenty of punditry after his departure from Birmingham, and there would likely have been no financial need for him to go back into management, so Shearer is right to praise him for his courage in taking the Pilgrims job, and it shows his clear passion for football.