On Wednesday, the Championship-level club said that Wayne Rooney, a former forward for Manchester United and England, has been named Birmingham City’s manager on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
Rooney, a former head coach of DC United, takes over for John Eustace, who was fired on Monday with the Midlands team sixth in the standings and 12 points off the pace set by Leicester City.
“To prepare for this chance, I have been developing my managerial career by placing myself in demanding circumstances. I’m excited to get started on it because it gives me a sense of purpose, Rooney stated.
“My coaching staff and I will work hard to put my vision of how I want the squad to play into practice. Here, we’ll establish a winning culture with a distinctive character to excite Blues supporters.
Ashley Cole, a former teammate of Rooney’s from England, and John O’Shea, a former teammate from United, will continue to serve as assistant coaches for the England under-21 and Ireland senior teams, respectively.
Rooney, 37, resigned as DC United’s manager last week after the team missed the MLS Cup playoffs for the fourth straight season. Rooney managed the club in Major League Soccer (MLS).
Rooney had a 17-month tenure as manager of Derby County before joining DC United. During that time, his club earned 55 points, which was sufficient for survival, but he was demoted to the third division after points were taken away due to financial difficulties.
Tom Wagner, chairman and co-owner of Birmingham, said Wayne has been prepared for a chance like this ever since he started his coaching studies while still a player at Manchester United.
“He and his staff have the full support of the Board and everyone at the football club.”
Rooney played with United, where he amassed 253 goals and helped the Old Trafford team to five Premier League championships and the Champions League. He also contributed 53 goals to the national squad of England.
Birmingham, who last competed in the Premier League’s top division in 2011, has 18 points after 11 games. On October 21, they will go to Middlesbrough to play.
