Since leaving Manchester United and his playing days behind, it's safe to say Wayne Rooney hasn't enjoyed the greatest of managerial careers.
Sacked by Birmingham City after just a matter of months, he was looking for a brighter start to his tenure as boss of Plymouth Argyle. Unfortunately, it got off to a nightmare start for one of England's greatest-ever players.
Plymouth were dispatched 4-0 by Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, with Rooney now left to lick his wounds and hope that another disastrous managerial stint isn't set to follow.
As a player, there wasn't much disaster. Wazza – as he was affectionately known – scored 253 goals in 559 games for United, played 120 times for England and won the Premier League five times. That's not bad at all, is it?
So, could United sign their next Rooney this summer? They've already agreed a deal to sign 16-year-old Arsenal sensation Chido Obi Martin but there's a more reputable name now being linked with the club.
Man Utd's hunt for another striker
The Red Devils may have welcomed Joshua Zirkzee to the club this summer but recent reports suggest that they are not done there.
The Daily Star claimed over the weekend that they were plotting a £50m bid for Brighton and Hove Albion centre forward Evan Ferguson.
Ferguson has previously been touted at £100m so this would be a bargain in comparison. That said Brighton have proven to be stern negotiators in years gone by so it would no doubt be hard to prise him away from the South Coast.
How Ferguson compares to Rooney
As a spritely teenager, Rooney was a fierce talent. He had pace, he had power, he had generational talent capable of scaring the very best defenders in world football.
It was at Euro 2004 that he made a name for himself, leaving the tournament despite England's early exit as a genuine superstar. The career that followed well and truly proved that.
Ferguson may not have burst onto the scene in quite the same explosive manner but he is one of the best up-and-coming forwards in the game.
Making his senior debut in Irish football at the age of 14, he moved to Brighton at 16 and has been making steady progress ever since.
The teenager has scored 12 times in 47 Premier League appearances. Not a bad record for someone so young. In fact, it's up there with some of the best we've seen in the division.
Indeed, after scoring in Brighton's 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest last November, the Republic of Ireland international matched a feat achieved by a certain Rooney.
The accomplishment? An 11th Premier League goal of 2023, ensuring he went record with Wazza's record in the list of the most Premier League goals scored by a teenager in the same calendar year.
1998
25
126
1994
22
140
1998
12
221
1999
12
172
2005
11
175
2023
11
143
There are more similarities than just that record though. Like the England great, Ferguson is a "devastating" talent – as he was described by one analyst on X – boasting similar physical attributes.
He can run the channels, has an explosive edge to get himself into goalscoring positions and is a sensational presence in the box.
You may well argue that signing another young forward when you have Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund in your ranks is a pointless venture. We'd perhaps be inclined to agree with that viewpoint. However, if INEOS did pursue a move for Ferguson as well, they could be staring at a future Premier League great.
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