In addition to being the fourth ex-Everton player to have managed Plymouth Argyle, Wayne Rooney is also the second Manchester United player to taken charge of the Pilgrims after Jack Rowley.
Like Rooney, Rowley is one of four players who have scored over 200 goals for the Red Devils. Rowley is fourth on the list with 211, behind Denis Law with 237, Sir Bobby Charlton with 249 and Rooney with 253. One thing that is worth taking into account is that Rowley's haul was achieved despite him missing seven seasons due to the Second World War between 1939 and 1945.
Rowley started his career with his hometown club Wolverhampton Wanderers without making a first team appearance before joining Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic in 1937, where he scored ten goals in first 11 appearances. His form brought him to the attention of several bigger clubs and he became a Manchester United player when they paid £3,000 for his services after only eight months on the South Coast.
Like many players of his generation, Rowley saw his career interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939; he served in the army during the conflict. Nevertheless, he had managed to find the back of the net 18 times in 58 appearances.
Once professional football resumed in 1946, Sir Matt Busby had been appointed as Manchester United manager and he converted Rowley from being an outside left. to a centre forward.
He became an integral part of the club's first success under Busby when he netted twice in the 1948 FA Cup final in which they beat Blackpool 4-2. He also helped the Red Devils' to clinch their first league title under Busby in the 1951-52 season. During this time, he also made six appearances for England, scoring six goals.
In 1955, he arrived at Home Park as player-manager and saved the Pilgrims from relegation from the Second Division in his first season (1954-55), but he was unable to keep them up in his second campaign in charge (1955-56).
After going close to promotion in the 1957-58 season, he eventually led Argyle to the Third Division South title in the 1958-59 campaign. This would be the last league title that the Pilgrims would win until they lifted the Third Division in the 2001-02 season under Paul Sturrock.
However, Argyle struggled to adjust to life in the second tier and Rowley was dismissed in March 1960. He then went on to have two spells as manager of Oldham Athletic (1960-1963 &1968-1969), the first would see him lead the Latics to promotion from the Fourth Division in 1962-63, Ajax, Wrexham and Bradford Park Avenue.
