13 October 2023 , 01:00
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Wayne Rooney is back in England after agreeing to a three-and-a-half year deal to succeed John Eustace at Birmingham City on Wednesday.
Rooney, 37, previously managed Derby County in the Championship before a brief stint in the MLS with DC United, who he parted company with last weekend. The former Manchester United and England captain steps in with the Blues currently sixth in the Championship standings.
The onus is now on Rooney to realise the lofty ambitions laid out by club owners Knighthead Capital, who spoke of the necessity to implement a "winning mentality" and a "culture of ambition" in the statement that confirmed Eustace's exit.
A new report from The Sun has since revealed that Rooney will be paid handsomely for his efforts, with his £1.5million salary dwarfing that of his predecessor, who was believed to be on a sum equivalent to around £9,000-a-week. Rooney's pay packet equates to £29,000-a-week.
That figure is highly like to make Rooney one of the most well-paid coaches in the second-tier, with the vast majority of EFL managers coming in well under that figure.
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A 2020 survey which was leaked in The Mail outlined details of a whole host of Championship salaries, including managers. The average salary of a Championship manager three years ago was £800,000 - almost half of what Rooney will pocket at St Andrew's.
Rooney could even be on par with several top-flight managers; a separate report from The Sun claimed last year that Thomas Frank and Steve Cooper, of Brentford and Nottingham Forest respectively, are thought to take home around £1.5m per year.
Join the debate! How do you think Rooney will fare at Birmingham? Let us know here.
Rooney is reportedly earning a £1.5million salary at his new club (Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)Regardless of how Rooney's salary stacks up, the new Blues chief is determined to land his new employers a significant financial windfall of their own in the form of promotion to the Premier League; a goal he feels is achievable this season.
"We will push for promotion this year of course," Rooney said at his maiden press conference on Thursday afternoon. "With the players we brought in during the summer, it’s an ambition of ours. It’s something we will certainly push for. The goal is to get the club back to the Premier League."
Birmingham currently occupy the final play-off spot after back-to-back wins prior to the international break. They will resume their campaign 10 points behind Ipswich Town in second and 12 points behind top of the table Leicester City : the Championship's only unbeaten team so far this term.
Rooney will come face to face with Michael Carrick, who he worked alongside at Manchester United, in his first match in charge of Birmingham when they face Middlesbrough next weekend.