Birmingham City: John Eustace sacked after 15 months, with Wayne Rooney linked as successor as head coach

Birmingham City have made an initial approach to talk to Wayne Rooney after sacking John Eustace as head coach.

Rooney mutually agreed to terminate his DC United contract over the weekend, after they failed to make the MLS play-offs.

He is understood to still be in the US and official talks with Birmingham are yet to start.

Wayne Rooney’s managerial record:

Derby (caretaker): November 2020 – January 2021 P11 W3 D4 L4

Derby: January 2021 – June 2022 P73 W22 D17 L34

DC United: July 2022 – October 2023 P53 W14 D13 L26

Eustace was sacked on Monday morning with Birmingham sixth in the Championship.

He oversaw 21 wins in his 63 games in 15 months in charge, the last of which came on Friday night in the 3-1 victory over West Brom in a West Midlands derby.

Image: Eustace has been sacked by Birmingham after 15 months in charge

A Birmingham statement explaining Eustace’s sacking said “it is essential that the board of directors and the football management are fully aligned on the importance of implementing a winning mentality and a culture of ambition across the entire football club”.

A new manager will be announced “in the coming days”, Birmingham said, “who will be responsible for creating an identity and clear ‘no fear’ playing style that all Birmingham City teams will adopt and embrace”.

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‘Time is right to return to England’ – Could Wayne Rooney be heading to Birmingham? Deja vu for Birmingham fans as club hierarchy push for big-name appointment

Sky Sports EFL editor Simeon Gholam:

For supporters of Birmingham City, there will be a real feeling of deja vu with this announcement.

The year was 2016, and the Blues were on the cusp of the play-offs and had been taken over by Trillion Trophy Asia a couple of months earlier.

The owners then decided to dispense with Gary Rowett, who had the side three points off sixth, to go with a big-name appointment in Gianfranco Zola.

Image: Gianfranco Zola replaced Gary Rowett at Birmingham in 2016

It was a move that proved disastrous. Zola picked up just two wins in his 24 games in charge, taking the club from seventh in the league to 21st.

The season ended with Harry Redknapp in charge for their final three games, and he managed to win two of them to keep the club just about in the Championship.

After two 10th-placed finishes under Rowett in the seasons prior to his dismissal, the club have not finished above 17th in seven seasons since.

Birmingham fans will be hoping lightning does not strike twice, and the next manager will take them forward rather than back into decline.