Four days after departing D.C. United, Wayne Rooney has a new job.
Rooney has returned to England to take over Championship (second division) side Birmingham City with immediate effect, on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
Rooney spent the past 15 months leading D.C. United, mutually parting ways with the club on Saturday after their 2023 season ended without Audi MLS Cup Playoffs qualification.
“I have been building my managerial career, putting myself in challenging environments, to get me ready for this opportunity,” Rooney said in a statement. “It’s a project that gives me a sense of purpose and I can’t wait to get started.”
Carl Robinson and Pete Shuttleworth, assistant coaches under Rooney at D.C. United, have joined him at Birmingham. The club sits sixth in the Championship table, chasing promotion to the Premier League after last competing in England’s top flight during the 2010-11 season.
Rooney, who starred for D.C. United at striker during the 2018 and 2019 MLS seasons, began his managerial career in 2021 with Derby County. Despite a hefty points deduction, they avoided relegation and remained in the Championship.
With Rooney departing, the Black-and-Red appear set to appoint a new general manager before hiring their next coach. The Athletic reports that Nashville SC assistant GM Ally Mackay and Columbus Crew assistant GM Issa Tall are finalists. The position has been vacant since October 2022, when Lucy Rushton was let go.
D.C. United are seeking their first playoff trip since the 2019 season. The club’s star players are striker Christian Benteke and midfielder Mateusz Klich. For 2024, Taxi Fountas' midseason departure opened a Designated Player spot alongside Benteke and Klich.
