Wayne Rooney sacked as Birmingham manager after just 15 games in charge

Wayne Rooney has been dismissed from his position as Birmingham City manager after just 15 games into his three-and-a-half-year contract at St Andrew’s, following the team’s 3-0 loss at Leeds United on Monday.

The defeat at Elland Road marked Rooney’s ninth as the Blues’ manager, concluding a disastrous tenure that has seen the club plummet to 20th place in the Championship. Birmingham held the sixth position when Rooney took over from John Eustace at the beginning of October.

Garry Cook, Birmingham’s chief executive, played a crucial role in recruiting Rooney to the club, considering his arrival a “defining moment” in their history. The former England star joined the Blues shortly after resigning as the manager of DC United in the United States.

“We are committed to doing what is necessary to bring success to St Andrew’s,” said Cook. “Unfortunately, Wayne’s time with us did not go as planned, and we have decided to move in a different direction.”

Rooney expressed, “Football is a results business – and I recognize they have not been at the level I wanted them to be. However, time is the most precious commodity a manager requires, and I do not believe 13 weeks were sufficient to oversee the changes that were needed. Personally, it will take me some time to get over this setback.”