Wayne Rooney appointed as head coach of Tom Brady’s Birmingham City side

Wayne Rooney will return to coaching in England after being appointed manager of Championship side Birmingham City, the club announced on Wednesday.

Rooney resigned as D.C. United head coach on Sunday as his side failed to reach the MLS playoffs for the second consecutive season and joined Birmingham City, joining NFL legend Tom Brady It was announced in August that he would become a minority shareholder and advisory board chairman in Birmingham.

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The Manchester United legend replaced John Eustace as manager, but his Birmingham side ended 15 months in charge on Monday after winning five of their first 11 games and finishing sixth in the Championship. career.

Eustace helped Birmingham avoid relegation last season amid two failed takeovers and the threat of a points deduction for breaching EFL regulations.

Rooney has previously coached in the Championship, with his first coaching job being at Derby County from January 2021 to June 2022.

He took the club from the Championship stepping stones to safety just months after arriving, but failed to repeat the feat in his first full season, largely due to a 21-point deduction. The 55 Derby points gained that year would have been enough to secure any other Championship season.

Rooney took charge in July 2022 after a spell with D.C. United, but was unable to prevent the team from finishing last in the Eastern Conference in his first season. He led the club to a ninth-place finish in 2023, but it wasn’t enough to secure a playoff spot.

D.C. United announced his departure immediately after losing 2-0 to New York City FC in the final game of the regular season.

Rooney was Manchester United’s leading scorer with 253 goals until Harry Kane overtook him as England’s all-time goalscoring record holder earlier this year.