Wayne Rooney's unique managerial hurdles at Birmingham City revealed by insider

Wayne Rooney's class as a player compared to the level of those he coaches was one of his key hurdles, insists John Ruddy.

The ex-Manchester United star, who has recently taken the helm at Plymouth Argyle after brief spells with Derby, DC United and Birmingham City, was let go from St. Andrew's despite the team being in a strong position. His tenure lasted only 15 games and he didn't have the chance to shape the squad during a transfer window. Ruddy, speaking on Ben Foster's Fozcast, remarked on Rooney's exceptional skill level that often left his trainees in awe. He explained: "You forget how good a player he was.

"We're on the training pitch and he's saying, 'No lads, I want you to do this'.", reports the Mirror. "And he'd take a touch and pick this ball over the top, inch-perfect. You're going, 'Yeah, that's the level you're used to. We're not quite there. His footballing brain is so advanced because of how he was as a player. It's trying to get that dynamic, when you're someone like Wayne Rooney, that you're not dealing with a team of Wayne Rooney's."

Despite the challenges, Rooney made a lasting impact on Ruddy - who had a spell in Scotland with Motherwell during his career - who noted that while the former England star aims to manage from a distance, he thrives on being involved in the day-to-day action. The 37-year-old added: "Wayne came in and tried to implement a style of play which was more possession-based, more building from the back, with the same players. He was always on the pitch - he was more of an overseer.

"I felt like I got on well with him, I had a couple of nice conversations with him. He made it clear he wants to be a manager, not a coach. He's not going to be the one setting up the sessions and