Wayne Rooney is set to make a return to English football by becoming the next Birmingham City manager after the club sacked John Eustace.
The former Manchester United striker is due to fly back to England after leaving his job at DC United in the US and agreeing a deal with a salary that is three times the amount Eustace was earning. Birmingham are hoping to confirm Rooney’s appointment in the coming days.
Ashley Cole, a former England team-mate who worked as a first-team coach at Everton, is expected to join Rooney, as is the former United defender John O’Shea, who is at present an assistant coach for the Ireland national team. Rooney’s former assistant Pete Shuttleworth is also likely to move to St Andrew’s. Shuttleworth spent five years at Birmingham before working alongside Rooney as an analyst at Derby County.
Birmingham confirmed on Monday that Eustace would be leaving after 15 months in charge.
Eustace, 43, impressed during his time at the club against a backdrop of financial uncertainty and ownership change. Birmingham are sixth in the Sky Bet Championship after 11 matches this season. However, a statement said he had been dismissed because the board wanted to implement a winning mentality and “culture of ambition” at the club.
“The club would like to thank John for his contribution,” the statement read. “His dedication and work ethic was evident throughout his time here and he will always be welcomed back to St Andrew’s.
“A new first-team manager will be announced in the coming days who will be responsible for creating an identity and clear ‘no fear’ playing style that all Birmingham City teams will adopt and embrace.”
It has been a turbulent couple of years for Birmingham. During Eustace’s time in charge the club had two failed takeover bids and faced the threat of points deductions. He saved them from relegation before their new owner, Shelby Companies Limited, led by the American businessman Tom Wagner, took charge in July.
The owner brought in the former Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook. As a company its aim is to become “world class” and its has lent on people with global experience, including the American football great Tom Brady, who has a minority stake in the club as the firm tries to build Birmingham’s profile. Bringing Rooney in would be the next step.
The new board is following in the steps of the previous owners in appointing its own manager. The previous board sacked Gary Rowett in 2016 when the club were seventh in the Championship and replaced him with Gianfranco Zola.
After four months Zola was sacked and replaced by Harry Redknapp. Since then Birmingham have had six managers: Steve Cotterill, Garry Monk, Pep Clotet, Aitor Karanka, Lee Bowyer and Eustace.
It was confirmed at the weekend that Rooney would be heading back to England to be with his family, who live in Cheshire, and that he was keen to return to management. His most recent role in the English game came at Derby, a stint that ended when he quit before the start of last season with the club in administration.
Rooney left DC United on Sunday, having failed to guide them to the Major League Soccer play-offs.
A statement from the DC United chief executive and co-chairman, Jason Levien, said: “We have spoken with Wayne and agreed it is best for us to part ways at this time. This decision creates the avenue for our next general manager to have the full opportunity to impart a new philosophy and structure on to our sporting operations, which begins with the critical identification of a head coach who will best align with this.”
Rooney told the Washington Post: “It’s just the right time. I think I’ve done everything I can to try to get the club into [the] play-offs. It’s not one single thing which has happened, it’s about the timing in your career. I have really enjoyed my time here [in the US]. But I just feel it’s the right time to go back to England. What lies ahead, I don’t know.”
