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Wayne Rooney has revealed how the Channel 4 programme First dates helped his team Plymouth to their first win of the new season.
Argyle beat League Two Cheltenham 3-0 in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, recovering from a 4-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in their opening game in the Championship.
Rooney described the result as a “wake-up call” after a difficult start as manager of the Devon club, but was pleased with his team’s response to a tough day.
And Rooney, after a much more encouraging performance in the cup, stressed the importance of switching off from football and spending time in front of the television – especially watching First Dates.
“There is always pressure, of course there is, that’s part of the game,” said Rooney BBC Sports. “After the game on Sunday, I turned off my phone and watched an episode of First Dates.
“It’s important to be able to switch off, to get away from it all. And then I looked at it again early on Monday morning and watched the game again.
“You can have a bad game, it happens. It’s important that they can switch off because sometimes you think about it too much and it affects you mentally.”
Rooney also acknowledged the criticism that arose following Plymouth’s disgraceful start to the Championship season.
Last season, he was Birmingham manager for three months and won only two of 15 games with the Blues, who were eventually relegated to League One.
The former Manchester United and England striker is aware that Plymouth’s development will attract particular attention during his tenure due to his profile, but stresses that he can handle that scrutiny.
“I understand that. I know I’m under a lot more scrutiny now, but that’s OK, I can deal with that,” Rooney added. “I know what we’re doing and what we want to achieve with the club.”
“It was a surprise on Sunday (against Sheffield Wednesday) but I don’t think it was a reason to panic. We had to get the team together, talk it through and finish the game.
“There have been some harsh words said about the players’ performance and I wanted and expected a reaction tonight and thankfully I got it.”
