Wayne Rooney emerges as strong contender for shock managerial return at Sunderland's Championship rivals

Wayne Rooney could be in line for a shock return to the Championship dugout just months after his departure from Birmingham City.

Rooney has emerged as the leading candidate to take charge at Plymouth Argyle, who are looking to appoint a permanent successor to Ian Foster. The former England youth boss replaced Steven Schumacher after his switch to Stoke City, but Director of football Neil Dewsnip and first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell took the team for the final weeks of the campaign as they narrowly avoided relegation.

Newsnip is now stepping up the search for a new head coach and multiple reports say that it is Rooney, who he knows well from his time as Academy boss at Everton, who he is keen on appointing. Further talks are expected over the coming days.

Paul Heckingbottom, linked earlier in the season with the vacancy at Sunderland, has also been in talks over the role and could yet be in the frame. Heckingbottom is also said to be of interest to Birmingham City, who are currently in the early stages of appointing a successor to Tony Mowbray after his resignation for medical reasons earlier this week. Alex Neil is also said to have held initial talks that could progress over the coming days and weeks.

Rooney impressed in difficult circumstances during his first managerial role at Derby County but his time at St Andrews proved challenging and he was dismissed less than three months into his three-and-a-half year deal, with Birmingham eventually being relegated to League One.