Wayne Rooney: Plymouth Argyle caretaker Kevin Nancekivell says 'guilt' over manager's exit fueled FA Cup shock

2025-01-13 06:48:00

Abstract: Plymouth's interim coach Nancekivell said player guilt over Rooney's exit fueled FA Cup upset win vs Brentford. Victory ended 11 game winless streak.

Plymouth Argyle's interim head coach, Kevin Nancekivell, believes that the players felt "guilt" over Wayne Rooney's departure, which partly fueled their determination in the FA Cup third-round upset 1-0 victory against Brentford. Manager Rooney left the Championship's bottom-placed team at the end of December, and Nancekivell stepped in to lead the team, who eliminated their Premier League opponents thanks to Morgan Whittaker's goal.

Nancekivell stated, "The players probably felt a bit of guilt after losing their manager, they felt remorse and wanted to right the wrongs of this season. In the last two games, they have given everything, stuck to the tactics, defended proactively, and showed a strong desire to defend. This shows that with that kind of commitment, you can achieve things."

The victory against Brentford ended Plymouth's 11-game winless streak. Rooney responded to the result on social media, stating he was "absolutely delighted" for Nancekivell and called him a "legend." Nancekivell has served as the club's interim head coach on five occasions. The match against the Bees was Nancekivell's last in charge, with Milos Muslic set to take over as the new Pilgrims manager.

Nancekivell added, "It has been a tough period. When you lose a manager you have to stand up - we were asked to do that - and I am glad we could give the fans something to cheer about. The players had to execute the game plan, and every single one of them did that, they were outstanding, I couldn't ask for more, it's credit to the players and no one else."