Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney tipped for shock managerial return in England as US owners get twitchy

Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney is being tipped to make a shock return to management in England, with the Championship his potential destination.

Birmingham City are said to have a strong interest in bringing Rooney back to his homeland as the club’s new American owners plot big things for a club that currently sits in the middle of the pack after 10 games.

Tuesday night’s 4-1 triumph over Huddersfield was the first win in seven for the Blues and eased the pressure on boss John Eustace.

US-based Shelby Companies Limited explored the possibility of going for a big-name manager over the summer but opted to stick with Eustace, who was appointed in the summer of 2022, instead.

However, his position is now under threat after a mixed start to the new campaign that has seen the Blues take 15 points from their 10 Championship outings so far.

Football Insider reports that Birmingham‘s owners view Rooney as having the profile, potential and status to elevate the club further.

He if does return to England, it would be Rooney’s second stint managing in his homeland following his time in charge of Derby County.

Shely Companies Limited completed their takeover of the Championship outfit back in July and are an affiliate of Knighthead Capital Management, who have links with NFL legend Tom Brady.

As for Rooney, he’s been in charge at DC United for just over a year but his current contract only runs until this December.

The former United striker has, however, expressed his frustration about a failure to open dialogue over a new deal that was prompted by him.

That may have something to do with the fact that DC United currently sit 11th in the MLS Eastern Conference table, while they also crashed out of the League Cup on Wednesday evening.

All four of the teams below them also have at least one game in hand in terms of leapfrogging DC and leaving them bottom of the table.

As for Birmingham, they are back in action on Friday night when they host Midlands rivals West Brom in the Championship.