Ex Birmingham City manager gets new job two months after departure

The former Manchester United striker will visit Old Trafford this weekend.

Wayne Rooney will join TNT Sports’ punditry team for Manchester United’s Premier League match against Everton this weekend.

United will play Everton at Old Trafford on Saturday, with TNT Sports scheduling the game at midday. Regular pundits Rio Ferdinand and Joleon Lescott will represent their former teams, with The Mirror suggesting that Rooney will be the star addition and middleman, having played for both in the past.

The 38-year-old has been out of job for around two months after being fired as manager of Birmingham City at the beginning of January. The Championship side lost nine of their 15 games under Rooney, dropping from sixth to twentieth in the league.

Rooney appeared on television last week as a pundit for the BBC’s coverage of United’s 1-0 FA Cup fifth round victory over Nottingham Forest. He has previously been on Sky Sports and is in high demand when he is not working as a manager.

The former striker progressed through Everton’s system, breaking onto the scene as a raw 16-year-old and gaining attention after scoring an astonishing last-minute winner against Arsenal only three days before his 17th birthday. He played two seasons at Goodison Park before joining United in the summer of 2004.

The former striker progressed through Everton’s system, breaking onto the scene as a raw 16-year-old and gaining attention after scoring an astonishing last-minute winner against Arsenal only three days before his 17th birthday. He played two seasons at Goodison Park before joining United in the summer of 2004.

Rooney spent 13 seasons with United, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer with 253 goals in 559 appearances in all competitions. His goals helped the Reds win numerous major championships, including five Premier League crowns and the 2007/2008 Champions League.

After leaving United, the forward briefly returned to Everton in 2017, although he only stayed for a year before going to MLS club D.C. United, then Derby County. The former England star has subsequently managed the latter two and hopes to one day manage in the Premier League.

United are keen to win on Saturday after losing two consecutive league games for the first time since September. Last week’s disheartening setback at home to Fulham was compounded by Sunday’s 3-1 Manchester derby loss at the Etihad.

They face Everton, who have gone winless in ten league games and are dangerously near to relegation. TNT Sports’ coverage of the contest starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday