English soccer superstar Wayne Rooney will return to D.C. United, this time not as a player, but as its coach, the MLS club said Tuesday. The 36-year-old footballer arrived at Dulles International Airport on Sunday and the team made the announcement at a press conference at Audi Field Tuesday afternoon.

News of Rooney’s hire leaked out over the weekend as Athletic and Washington Post reporters spoke to anonymous sources within the organization to learn details of the contract, which was still being finalized at the time.

Rooney, England’s all-time leading scorer and a former Manchester United standout, joined D.C. United for the 2018 and 2019 seasons, but left to spend time with his family. Over the past two years, he’s been be a player-coach for Derby County Football Club, where his leadership helped save the team from being demoted to a lower league.

While playing for DCU, Rooney boosted the team’s popularity and helped the team make the playoffs with his impressive scoring. In D.C., he maintained a relatively low profile, despite being one of the world’s biggest celebrities, and one who hasn’t hasn’t always shied away from scandal. Few locals recognized him and he was able to get away with things like crooning in a Georgetown piano bar and downing drinks on U Street without much fanfare.

Rooney had the highest-ever salary for a D.C. United player at $2.8 million, and his new role is paying around $1 million annually, according to the Post — the highest pay thus far for a D.C. United manager. He takes over for interim coach Chad Ashton, who himself replaced Hernán Losada in April just a few games into the season. Ashton will continue to manage the team for a few weeks while Rooney waits for his work visa to process, the team said in a release.

During a press conference Tuesday, Rooney dismissed the idea that coaching for United is a “backwards step” in his career, though he did say that he hopes to one day coach at the “top level,” and this move is part of that process. He wouldn’t have considered an offer from another MLS team, he told reporters.

Asked about the team’s long shot at making the playoffs, Rooney replied: “Why not? Why could we not make the playoffs?”

The team’s front office believes in Rooney as well. Managing owner Jason Levien kicked off the conference and said that when Rooney was a player, naysayers said he was too old to help the team.

“Now, there are whispers that he’s too young to help us,” Levien said. “I think he’s perfectly situated to help us.”

Ruthless competitor. Fearless leader.

Wayne is ready to take the helm in D.C. 👊#DCU || @WayneRooney pic.twitter.com/6rMbLVgWQd

— D.C. United (@dcunited) July 12, 2022

If there’s a team that needs Rooney, it’s D.C. United. The team has struggled through this season, recently taking a painful 7-0 beating from the Philadelphia Union. In his former role, Rooney’s playmaking abilities and work ethic made him a natural team captain.

Local fans seem to be embracing the move. Mauricio Renzi, a season-ticket holder, said in an email to DCist that while bringing on Rooney is a risk since he doesn’t have much of a track record as a manager, it’s a risk worth taking.

“He will breathe life back into the stadium on game day (the reception he will get when he’s introduced in their first home game will be insane), the players will fight for him, and maybe most importantly, he will be able to recruit talent to the team,” Renzi says. “I think both European veterans wanting to come play for a pro in the U.S., and South American young talents looking for a springboard to Europe will be excited by the prospect of coming to play for Rooney.”

Rooney is looking to hire European-based coaching staffers and players before the 2023 season, according to The Washington Post.

United fan Jared Strange messaged DCist on Twitter to say the hire feels like a potential win for D.C. soccer, given the disappointment of losing out on 2026 World Cup hosting rights and United’s current poor performance.

“I wonder if that’s some of the thinking behind it,” Strange writes. “The fact that he played for D.C. and earned a lot of credit amidst a bad situation at Derby definitely works in his favor, but I do wonder if vibes play into it.”

During the Tuesday press conference, Rooney shot down questions about his family life, choosing to focus on the team and his future as a manager. According to Athletic reporter Pablo Maurer, his wife Coleen and their four sons will be staying in the UK and will visit whenever possible.