Birmingham City made the decision to sack Wayne Rooney yesterday.
Rooney lasted just 15 games as Birmingham City manager, winning only two of them.
It’s the shortest stint of any Birmingham City manager since Harry Redknapp in 2017, with Rooney boasting the lowest win percentage (two games, or 13.3%) of any Blues boss since Gianfranco Zola (two games out of 24, 8.3%).
Rooney’s initial appointment divided opinion, not only among the Birmingham City faithful but in the footballing world in general.
The owners sacked a well-performing and well-liked manager in John Eustace who left the club in 6th, for a vastly inexperienced manager in Rooney whose only spells in the dugout had come with Derby County and D.C United, with both offering fairly uninspiring results.
Wayne Rooney undeterred, he wants back into management
Rooney has now had three jobs as a manager and all have been largely underwhelming, with his most recent with Birmingham City being his most unimpressive by far.
But journalist Rob Dorsett says that Rooney ‘will not quit’.
The 38-year-old still wants to succeed as a manager and despite being ‘hurt’ by Birmingham City and some of the fans, Dorsett says that he’s determined to return to management, after a break from the game.
Rooney could struggle for a job after Birmingham City woes
After doing so poorly at Birmingham City, whether he was sacked early or not, Rooney may find it difficult to land a job of the same stature, especially so in the English Football League.
If a Championship club were to appoint Rooney then it surely wouldn’t go down too well with that club’s fan base, and it seems unlikely that Rooney would fancy dropping down to League One.
So it seems possible like Rooney might move abroad again.
He’s done so in the past and despite his tough time at Birmingham City, he might be held in better regards in the MLS; he won 14 of his 53 games at D.C. United (26.4%).
After a break in management then, Rooney looks set to take on a new challenge and it’ll certainly be interesting to see where he ends up.
He’ll surely keep his eyes peeled for another opportunity in England but again, an MLS return seems more likely, or potentially a switch to an English-speaking league like the Australian A-League.
As for Birmingham City, they now have a break in their Championship duties with an FA Cup clash away at Hull City on the agenda this weekend.