15 February 2024 , 13:21
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Less than two months after his Birmingham City spell came to a sudden end, Wayne Rooney could be set for a change of sports.
Former England and Manchester United striker Rooney was sacked by the Blues after just 15 games, having overseen a slump which left the team at risk of relegation. Now, as exclusively revealed by Mirror Sport, he is in talks with the Misfits promotion over a potential move into the boxing ring.
The 38-year-old is understood to be waiting to see if he is offered a route back into management. If no such offer is forthcoming, though, he may opt to step into the ring.
There's a big question, though - namely, who might Rooney's first opponent be. We've taken a look at some of the options for a bout that's likely to attract a fair bit of attention.
Curtis Woodhouse
If Rooney wants to take inspiration from another footballer-turned-boxer, Woodhouse is his man. The 43-year-old made his boxing bow in 2006 after a career in the EFL, finishing up with a 24-7 record.
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The midfielder even combined the two sports for a period of time, returning to the pitch part-time with spells at Rushden and Diamonds. His football career ended in earnest more than a decade ago, but he kept boxing until 2017.
Then, of course, there's the Birmingham connection. Woodhouse got his Premier League debut at the Midlands club, with Rooney having less favourable memories.
Lee Bowyer
Speaking of former Birmingham bosses, Bowyer garnered a slightly better reputation at St Andrew's. The England international midfielder saved the Blues from the drop after taking over midway through the 2020-21 campaign, though his one full season didn't produce a significant uplift.
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Lee Bowyer is no stranger to a scrap (Getty Images)Bowyer might not have experience in the ring, but he has shown a willingness to use his fists. Just ask former Newcastle team-mate Kieron Dyer, who he infamously fought during a Premier League game against Aston Villa.
Now 45, the former West Ham and Leeds man is manager of the Montserrat national team. Could the promise of a big-money bout tempt him back from the Caribbean.
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Jamie Vardy
The Wagatha Christie trial has pitted Rooney's and Vardy's wives against one another. What price, then, a match-up between the two former Premier League footballers?
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Vardy is still going on the pitch, remaining at Leicester after their relegation to the second tier. The 36-year-old, who played with Rooney for England at Euro 2016, has nine goals in the Championship this term, averaging 0.8 goals per 90 minutes.
Wayne Rooney and Jamie Vardy spent time as England team-mates (Getty Images)The two former England colleagues have face off on the pitch, but it's nothing compared to that infamous court battle. A few rounds in the ring could fix that.
Jose Mourinho
Yes, Mourinho might be 61 years of age. However, when have we ever known the Portuguese to be a man willing to back away from a challenge?
It was Mourinho who ensured Rooney's Manchester United spell came to an end in 2017. The club captain made just 15 league starts in his final league season at Old Trafford, with Mourinho preferring his own signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic up top.
Wayne Rooney might have some unfinished business with Jose Mourinho (AFP/Getty Images)The former United boss has a bit of free time on his hands after being sacked by Roma in January. That's time he could be spending working on his jab.
Cristiano Ronaldo
There's nothing like some unresolved beef to add extra spice to a bout. And what better example than the 2006 World Cup run-in when England played Portugal.
Rooney was sent off for a stamp on Ricardo Carvalho, with Ronaldo infamously caught winking when the England man left the field. They looked to have made up as club team-mates at Manchester United, winning the Champions League in 2008, but the red will have still hurt at the time.
Ronaldo's reaction to Rooney's 2006 red card hasn't been forgotten (AFP/Getty Images)"I spoke to him in the tunnel after the game. I said to him 'the press want to make a big thing out of us falling out, not getting along'," Rooney said in 2018.
"I said 'Don't worry about it - I would have done the exact same thing'. I tried to get him booked for diving. He was my club teammate but he was a rival in that game.
"If I could have got him sent off, I would." Nothing like a spell in the boxing ring to reopen old wounds, both literal and metaphorical.
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