Wayne Rooney will be announced as the new manager of Birmingham City, after the shock sacking of John Eustace.
Rooney, the former England and Manchester United captain, is the No. 1 choice of Birmingham’s board to succeed Eustace as head coach at the Championship club.
The 37-year-old departed DC United over the weekend and is understood to have already held talks with Birmingham’s new ownership. His previous managerial experience in England was with Derby County between 2020 and 2022.
Telegraph Sport reported last month that Rooney would be a serious contender to replace Eustace.
Garry Cook, the Birmingham chief executive, is leading the appointment process and held talks with Eustace on Monday morning to inform him that he would be leaving the club.
Eustace had recovered from a difficult recent run to secure two successive wins but was told that Birmingham are moving in a new direction. Birmingham said that a new manager would be announced in the coming days.
A statement from the Championship club read: “It is essential that the board of directors and the football management are fully aligned on the importance of implementing a winning mentality and a culture of ambition across the entire football club.
“With this in mind, Birmingham City has today parted company with head coach, John Eustace. Eustace departs after 15 months in charge, having helped to stabilise and strengthen the club on the pitch following his appointment in July 2022.
“In his first season at the helm, he guided the team to a 17th-place finish, securing Sky Bet Championship status with three games remaining.
“During his time at St. Andrew’s, he galvanised the squad to deliver a number of memorable moments in testing circumstances.
“The club would like to thank John for his contribution. His dedication and work ethic was evident throughout his time in B9 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.
“The club will be issuing no further comment at this time.”
