Wayne Rooney's ex-teammate makes remarkable claim about possible Man Utd return

11 January 2024 , 13:03

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Could Wayne Rooney be a future Manchester United manager? (Image: Michael Zemanek/REX/Shutterstock)

Wanye Rooney could still end up as a future Manchester United manager despite his failed stint at Birmingham City, according to ex-Old Trafford team-mate Dimitar Berbatov.

The Premier League great was recently dismissed by the St Andrew's hierarchy after winning just two of his 15 games, which saw the Blues slide from fifth to 20th in the Championship table. Prior to that Rooney had made little inroads whilst at the helm of either Derby County or MLS side DC United.

As a result his stock has fallen but Berbatov believes Rooney can still land some of the biggest jobs in the country. As such, he expects him to continue throwing himself into the managerial sphere for roles in the future.

And he insists that a return to the Theatre of Dreams, where Rooney is the club's all-time record goalscorer, remains a possibility.

Berbatov told The Sun: "I have no doubt that he is going to come back and be a manager because I think that's what he likes to do. I think, ultimately, at one time in the future he would like to be the manager of Manchester United. How he is going to get there is another question.

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"I hope he is going to continue to climb that ladder of success in that business to be a manager. Unfortunately, he had a bit of a setback with the Birmingham job. You cannot argue with the numbers though. Losing a lot of games. The team was fifth when he came in, when he was sacked they were 20th. You cannot argue with that.

"Yes, someone can say 'they did not give him enough time' but now in today's football results need to come fast. So maybe sometimes it's more important to get the results first so you have time to build your vision of the game. Unfortunately, that was not the case with him but I hope he will come back stronger and continue on that path to one day be manager of Man Utd."

Wayne Rooney took Birmingham City from fifth to 20th (Getty Images)

There are a host of former England greats who have failed to cut it as a manager thus far. Big names and stellar careers can open doors for aspiring managers, but many have been unable to have the same impact in the dugout as they did on the pitch.

United of course opted to appoint a former player in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back in 2019, albeit he had enjoyed success in his homeland with Molde. The Norwegian lasted three years before he was axed and throughout his tenure there were calls for the club to seek a better manager.

Samuel Meade