Wayne Rooney confirmed as new Birmingham City manager

Wayne Rooney has been appointed Birmingham City manager (Picture: Getty Images)

Wayne Rooney has been confirmed as new manager of Birmingham City, appointed on a three-and-a-half year contract after leaving DC United last weekend.

Also joining the Blues are Ashley Cole and John O’Shea, who will take up coaching roles with the Championship club.

Cole will continue to work with England Under-21s, while O’Shea will also carry on in his role as assistant coach with Republic or Ireland. Carl Robinson and Pete Shuttleworth, coaches Rooney worth with at DC United, will also join him in Birmingham.

Rooney joins the club after John Eustace was dismissed earlier this week despite the team starting the Championship season impressively, currently sixth in the table.

The Manchester United and England legend’s first game in charge will be away at Middlesbrough on 21 October, where former teammate Michael Carrick will be in the home dugout.

On his appointment Rooney said: ‘I am absolutely delighted to be joining Birmingham City Football Club at such an exciting time. It is very clear that they have a plan and are committed to realising their ambition for the club. We are fully aligned on what is expected. I have been building my managerial career, putting myself in challenging environments, to get me ready for this opportunity. It’s a project that gives me a sense of purpose and I can’t wait to get started.

‘We have some exciting young players in the squad, and some who are still to break through into the First Team, alongside a core of experienced senior professionals. I have a clear way that I want the team to play, 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.

Rooney returns to English football after leaving Derby County last year (Picture: Getty Images)

‘I’ve played at St. Andrew’s and Birmingham City fans were always loud and passionate about their team. It was a really difficult place to come as an opponent and now I get to experience what it is like to have them behind us. My job is to elevate the Club to the next level and I can’t wait to get started. I know what the expectations are and our job is to deliver.’

Rooney confirmed his departure from DC United on Sunday, saying: ‘It’s just the right time.

‘I think I’ve done everything I can to try and get the club into [the] playoffs. It’s not one single thing which has happened, it’s about timing in your career. I have really enjoyed my time here. But I just feel it’s the right time to go back to England. What lies ahead, I don’t know.’

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Birmingham’s Chief Executive Officer, Garry Cook, said: ‘We are 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. The timing of the appointment will allow Wayne to evaluate the playing staff and work with Craig Gardner on the squad’s recruitment needs ahead of the January and Summer transfer windows. This is a defining moment for the Football Club.’

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