Badly bruised Rooney now faces a very big question

THE question for one of England's greatest-ever footballers today is "what now?" Wayne Rooney's dismissal as Birmingham City boss yesterday leaves the former Manchester United and England forward with not only the first resounding failure on his CV, but one of the worst managerial stints in Championship history to his name.

- Dan Kilpatrick

Rooney took over when Birmingham were sixth in the second tier, unexpectedly in play-off contention and cautiously eyeing a push for the promised land of the Premier League.

He leaves them on the cusp of the bottom three, having failed to win 13 of his 15 games in charge and mustered a paltry 10 points.

Rooney felt he deserved more time at St Andrew's but, really, it is a wonder he lasted so long. The biggest surprise, though, remains that he was given the job in the first place.

In managerial terms, Rooney is now damaged goods, his reputation as a coach tarnished. Such was his success and celebrity as a player, his standing as a manager is now probably lower than when he retired from playing in January 2021.

There is no doubt that the blame for Rooney's failure at Birmingham lies as much with the club as the 38-year-old.

The decision to sack John Eustace, who stabilised the Blues last term before their strong start to the season, and hire Rooney was a classic case of a club going for a "name" above all else.