11 October 2023 , 16:18
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Wayne Rooney’s appointment as Birmingham City’s new manager was heralded as a ‘defining moment’ for the club. That statement also applies to him.
After two middling adventures with Derby County and DC United, this golden opportunity will either make or break his coaching career.
He comes having been hand-picked by Birmingham’s new owners, with the rhetoric kicking into overdrive to quell the grumblings of discontent from supporters following John Eustace’s brutal exit.
Talk of ‘philosophies,’ ‘realising ambition,’ ‘alignment of expectations’ and ‘no fear’ football peppered the official statement. Rooney was straight on the front foot too.
He said: “It’s very clear the owners have a plan and are committed to it. We are fully aligned on what is expected. I have been building my managerial career, putting myself in challenging environments, to get myself ready for this opportunity. This is a project that gives me a sense of purpose. I can’t wait to get started.”
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Of course, Rooney played for the best part of two decades under the kind of pressure he now faces, excelling for club and country. However, out on the pitch he was in a position to exert control. This is different.
Rooney the player did not divide opinion. The jury is still out on Rooney the manager. He won plaudits - but ultimately no prizes - for battling through at Derby as owner Mel Morris’s financial chickens came home to roost with a points deduction that ended with the Rams’ relegated to League One.
And his time at DC United - where he failed to land a place in the play-offs - gave little indictation either of the 37-year-old’s true abilities. Not that Birmingham’s owners and decision-makers were seeing this as anything other than an enormous coup.
Rooney won plaudits during his stint with Derby“Wayne is a natural born winner,” said co-owner Tom Wagner with typical Stateside confidence, perhaps ignoring his two previous managerial adventures. We believe he will take Blues forward. His playing philosophy will help realise the ambitions we have for Birmingham City.”
Club chief executive Garry Cook was equally gushing, adding: “We’re incredibly excited by Wayne’s arrival. When the opportunity presents itself to appoint a manager who shares your ambition and is both a student and a great of the game, then you act. This is what we have done.
“We are confident that his appointment, supported by his hand-picked coaching staff will culminate in a young, attack-minded team that will excite our fans. This is a defining moment for Birmingham City Football Club.”
One clear message hammered out by the owners after sacking Eustace was the need for a style. Rooney says he can deliver it. “I have a clear way I want the team to play,” he said, “and my coaching staff and I will work hard to implement it. We will create a winning culture here with an identity that gets Blues fans on their feet.”
First up, it’s Middlesbrough at the Riverside in ten days' time where Rooney will discover whether both he and his players can live up to the hype.