Wayne Rooney Named Manager Of Tom Brady-Owned Soccer Club

Wayne Rooney made his return to England on Wednesday after a two-year stint in the United States.

Birmingham City appointed Rooney as its manager on a 3 1/2-year deal, per ESPN. The 37-year-old parted ways with D.C. United after he failed to reach the MLS Cup playoffs for a second straight season.

Rooney returns to England for the first time since the end of the 2022 season when he was Derby County manager. Birmingham City, of which former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is an investor, sacked John Eustace on Monday despite leading the Blues to sixth in the English Championship through 11 matches.

Similar to bringing in Brady as an investor, chairman Tom Wagner likely wanted a big name to boost the profile of the Championship side. Once Rooney became available, the opportunity to bring in the Manchester United legend probably was one the club didn’t want to pass up.

Rooney’s appointment ends a tumultuous tenure in MLS. It was revealed in court documents in the infamous “Wagatha Christie” case that Rooney’s wife did not enjoy living in the United States, and D.C. United’s reputation for being a low-spending club did not help Rooney bring the on-field results desired by the club and fans.

All sides now have moved on as Rooney aims to rebuild his reputation as a manager.